Portable electronic device housing with outer glass surfaces

• US 9,185,816 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pakula, David, Dinh, Richard Hung Minh, Myers, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): HAUGHTON, ANTHONY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/541,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20120275100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.3, 361/679.55, 361/679.56, 4555751-5759
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3481 Housings or casings incorporating or embedding electric or electronic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/001 Miniaturised objectives for electronic devices, e.g. portable telephones, webcams, PDAs, small digital cameras G02B23/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/02 for lenses supports for magnifying lenses G02B25/002
• 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 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0086 portable, e.g. battery operated apparatus casings for switching devices H01H9/02
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14 Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

Improved housings for electronic devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, an electronic device housing can have one or more outer members (e.g., exposed major surfaces), such as front or back surfaces, that are formed of glass. The one or more glass surfaces can be part of outer member assemblies that can be secured to other portions of the electronic device housing. In other embodiments, apparatus, systems and methods for robustly attaching a cover portion of an electronic device to a bottom portion, e.g., a housing portion, of the electronic device are described. The electronic device can be portable and in some cases handheld.

Claims

1. An electronic device enclosure, comprising:

a front glass cover placed and secured to provide a front surface for the electronic device enclosure;

an outer periphery member having side surfaces and without front and back surfaces, the side surfaces for the electronic device enclosure being primarily formed by the outer periphery member; and

a back glass cover placed and secured to provide a back surface for the electronic device enclosure,

wherein the front glass cover, the outer periphery member and the back glass cover are separate parts that together form the electronic device enclosure.

2. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the front glass cover serves as substantially all of the front surface for the electronic device enclosure, and wherein the back glass cover serves as substantially all of the back surface for the electronic device enclosure.

3. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the front glass cover part provides a planar front surface for the electronic device enclosure, and the back glass cover provides a planar back surface for the electronic device enclosure.

4. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device enclosure further includes a side member extending around a periphery of the electronic device enclosure.

5. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 4, wherein the side member is primarily metal or plastic.

6. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the front glass cover is not more than about 5 mm and the back glass cover is not more than about 5 mm.

7. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the front glass cover is about 1 mm and the back glass cover is about 1 mm.

8. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device housing is substantially made of glass.

9. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein about 75% of the external surface of the electronic device housing is glass.

10. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the front glass cover is at least substantially transparent, and wherein the back glass cover includes a substantially non-transparent coating.

11. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1,

an internal structure secured to an inner surface of the outer periphery member,

wherein at least one of the front glass cover and the back glass cover are secured with respect to the outer periphery member by way of the internal structure.

12. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 11, wherein the outer periphery member comprises metal.

13. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 11, wherein the front glass cover is at least substantially transparent, and wherein the back glass cover is at least substantially non-transparent.

14. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 11, wherein the thickness of the glass member less than about 1 mm.

15. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 11, wherein the glass member is at least substantially transparent.

16. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 15, wherein the outer periphery member substantially comprises metal.

17. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the front glass cover and/or the back glass cover has an at least substantially non-transparent coating thereon.

18. An assembly for an electronic device, comprising:

a front cover part, the cover part being a glass member;

a rear cover part, the cover part being a glass member that is rendered substantially non-transparent;

a housing part, the housing part having a front side configured to couple with the front cover part, and having a back side configured to couple with the back cover part;

at least one electronic component, the at least one electronic component being arranged within an inner volume defined by at least the housing part,

wherein the front cover part, the back cover part and the housing part cooperate to contain the at least one electronic component, and

wherein the front cover part, the back cover part and the housing part together form a primary housing of the electronic device.

19. An assembly for electronic device as recited in claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the back cover part has thereon a substantially non-transparent coating.

20. An assembly for electronic device as recited in claim 18,

wherein the front cover part provides a planar front surface for the housing, and the back cover part provides a planar back surface for the housing.