Portable computer display housing

• US 8,233,109 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bergeron, Kathleen A., DeForest, Laura, Fetterman, Kevin S., Goldberg, Michelle, Hibbard, Timothy S., Leggett, William F., Zeliff, Zachary Joseph, Huang, Chung-Tse
• Primary Examiner(s): DUDEK, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US12/580,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20110090712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 349/58, 349/60
• US Class Current: 349/58
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2063/485 the liquid being an adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/02 using sheet or web-like material B29C63/26 and B29C63/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing

Abstract

A display housing for a portable computing device that utilizes a plastic cover bonded to an internal metal frame is described. To account for thermal cycling issues and in particular to prevent bond slippage, multiple types of adhesives are employed to join the metal frame and the plastic cover. In particular, a very high bond (VHB) adhesive material is used in certain areas to bond the metal inner frame to the plastic cover and a liquid adhesive is used in other areas. The plastic cover can be translucent to light. A method of coating the plastic cover to block light, such as from a backlight used for the display, is described.

Claims

1. A display housing for a portable computer comprising,

a display housing cover, wherein the display housing cover comprises a hinged side and a free side and wherein proximate to corners of the free side, the display housing cover is joined to the inner frame using the second bonding agent wherein the second bonding agent is a very high bond adhesive;

an inner frame bonded to the display housing cover for providing structural stiffness to the display housing cover,

a first bonding agent for bonding the display cover to the inner frame,

a second bonding agent for bonding the display cover to the inner frame, wherein the second bonding agent is for preventing bond slippage in a bond between the inner frame and the display housing cover formed using the first bonding agent during thermal cycling of the display housing.

2. The display housing of claim 1, wherein the first bonding agent is applied as a liquid during initial bonding of the metallic frame to the display housing cover and subsequently hardens to establish the bond between the inner frame and the display housing cover.

3. The display housing of claim 2, wherein the bond is established at a first temperature and wherein first bonding agent softens such that a strength of the bond decreases at temperatures above the first temperature.

4. The display housing of claim 1, wherein a thermal expansion coefficient of the display housing cover is greater than the thermal expansion coefficient of the inner frame.

5. The display housing of claim 1, wherein the inner frame comprises magnesium.

6. The display housing of claim 1, wherein the display housing cover comprises plastic.

7. The display housing of claim 1, wherein the second bonding agent comprises a very high bond adhesive.

8. The display housing of claim 1, wherein the first bonding agent is a liquid two part epoxy during application.

9. The display housing of claim 1, wherein the second bonding agent comprises a double sided tape with very bond adhesive on each side of the tape.

10. The display housing of claim 1, wherein the display housing cover comprises a hinged side and a free side wherein proximate to each end of the free side, the inner frame is joined to the display housing cover using the second bonding agent and proximate to a center of the free side the inner frame is joined to display housing cover using the first bonding agent.

11. The display housing of claim 1, wherein the display housing cover comprises a hinged side and a free side and two adjacent sides connecting the hinged side and the free side wherein, for each of the two adjacent sides, on a first end proximate to the hinged side, the first bonding agent is used to join the inner frame to the display housing cover and on a second end proximate to the free side, the second bonding agent is used to join the inner frame to the display housing cover.

12. The display housing of claim 1, wherein a portion of an outer surface of the display housing cover is illuminated from a light source located within the display housing cover.

13. The display housing of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises one or more LED elements.

14. The display housing of claim 1, further comprising a display enclosed within the display housing wherein the display is backlit using one or more LED elements.

15. The display housing of claim 1, wherein an inner surface of the display housing cover comprises:

1) a first coating layer applied over a first area of the inner surface of the display housing cover;

     2) a second coating layer applied over the first coating layer; and

     3) a third coating layer over the second coating layer over a second area less than the first area, said second area surrounding a portion of display housing cover that is illuminated from an illumination source enclosed within the display housing.

16. The display housing of claim 1, further comprising one or more magnets for latching the display housing to a body of a portable computer housing wherein the display housing and the body are coupled together to provide the portable computer housing.

17. A display housing for a portable computer comprising,

a display;

a display housing cover that encloses at least a back side of the display;

an illumination source deposed between the backside of the display and the display housing cover comprising one or more LED elements;

an inner frame bonded to the display housing cover for providing structural stiffness to the display housing cover,

a first bonding agent for bonding the display cover to the inner frame wherein the first bonding agent is applied as a liquid that subsequently hardens to form a bond between the inner frame and the display housing cover,

a second bonding agent for bonding the display cover to the inner frame, wherein the second bonding agent is for preventing bond slippage in the bond between the inner frame and the display housing cover formed during thermal cycling of the display housing.

18. A method comprising,

providing a display housing cover and an inner frame for a display housing wherein the display housing cover comprises a hinged side and a free side wherein proximate to each end of the free side;

applying a first bonding agent to a first portion of the inner frame wherein the first bonding agent is applied as a liquid;

applying a second bonding agent to a second portion the inner frame proximate to each end of the free side wherein the second bonding agent is a very high bond adhesive; and

joining the inner frame to the display housing cover using the first bonding agent and the second bonding agent wherein the second bonding agent is for preventing bond slippage in a bond between the inner frame and the display housing cover formed using the first bonding agent during thermal cycling of the display housing.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

applying a first coating layer over a first area of an inner surface of the display housing cover;

applying a second coating layer over the first coating layer;

applying a third coating layer over the second coating layer over a second area less than the first area, said second area surrounding a portion of display housing cover that is illuminated from an illumination source enclosed within the display housing.

20. A method comprising,

providing a display housing cover and an inner frame for a display housing;

applying a first coating layer over a first area of an inner surface of the display housing cover;

applying a second coating layer over the first coating layer;

applying a third coating layer over the second coating layer over a second area less than the first area, said second area surrounding a portion of display housing cover that is illuminated from an illumination source enclosed within the display housing;

applying a first bonding agent to the inner frame;

applying a second bonding agent to the inner frame; and

after applying at least the first coating layer and the second coating layer, joining the inner frame to the display housing cover using the first bonding agent and the second bonding agent.