Protection and assembly of outer glass surfaces of an electronic device housing

• US 9,232,670 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pakula, David, Dinh, Richard Hung Minh, Tan, Tang Yew
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Assistant Examiner(s): RATHOD, ABHISHEK M
• Application Number:
  US12/794,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,041 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.3, 379/440, 455/575.1, 174/50, 174/107
• 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. An electronic device housing can make use of at least one outer member (e.g., cover) that can be aligned, protected and/or secured with respect to other portions of the housing for the electronic device. 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. Protective sides can be provided in some embodiments to protect the edges of the one or more glass surfaces so as to dissipate impact forces and thus reduce damage to the electronic device housing. 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. The electronic device can be portable and in some cases handheld.

Claims

1. An electronic device enclosure, comprising:

a front cover assembly placed and secured to provide a front surface for the electronic device enclosure, the front cover assembly including a front cover member and a protective side member, the front cover member having an exposed upper surface and exposed edges, and the protective side member being provided against and around the exposed edges of the front cover member, wherein the protective side member does not extend over the exposed upper surface of the front cover member, and wherein the protective side member comprises polymer strengthened with glass fibers;

a side member extending around a periphery of the electronic device enclosure; and

a back cover assembly placed and secured to provide a back surface for the electronic device enclosure, the back cover assembly including a back cover member and a back protective side member, the back protective side member being provided against and around the sides of the back cover member,

wherein the back cover assembly further includes a back support member and a back attachment member, the back support member supports the back cover member, and the back attachment member is integral with or attached to the back support member, the back support member is integral with or attached to the back protective side member, the back attachment member being use to secure the back cover assembly with respect to the side member extending around a periphery of the electronic device enclosure.

2. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the front cover member comprises glass.

3. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the protective side member comprises polyarylamide.

4. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the protective side member comprises a compound including at least polyarylamide.

5. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the protective side member comprises a polymer having a Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) less than or equal to about 50 millimeters/meter/°

C.

6. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the protective side member is not more than about 1 mm.

7. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the protective side member comprises a polymer having a Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) less than or equal to about 35 millimeters/meter/°

C.

8. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the front cover assembly further includes a support member and an attachment member, the support member supports the front cover member, and the attachment member is integral with or attached to the support member, the support member being integral with or attached to the protective side member, the attachment member being use to secure the front cover assembly with respect to the electronic device enclosure.

9. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 8, wherein the support member is a metal structure attached to or integrally formed into the protective side member from of a polymer.

10. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 8, wherein the support member is molded into the protective side member.

11. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 8, wherein the thickness of the support member is about 0.2 mm.

12. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the front cover assembly further includes a support member and an attachment member, the support member supports the front cover member, and the attachment member is integral with or attached to the support member, the support member being integral with or attached to the protective side member, the attachment member being use to secure the front cover assembly with respect to the side member.

13. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device enclosure further comprises:

a back cover assembly placed and secured to provide a back surface for the electronic device enclosure, the back cover assembly including a back cover member and a protective side member, the protective side member being provided against and around the sides of the back cover member.

14. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 13, wherein the front cover member comprises glass, and wherein the back cover member comprises glass.

15. An electronic device enclosure, comprising:

a front cover assembly placed and secured to provide a front surface for the electronic device enclosure, the front cover assembly including a front cover member and a front interface member, the front cover member having an exposed front surface and being adhered to the front interface member;

a back cover assembly placed and secured to provide a back surface for the electronic device enclosure, the back cover assembly including a back cover member and a back interface member, the back cover member having an exposed back surface and being adhered to the back interface member with an adhesive layer; and

a side member providing a peripheral surface for of the electronic device enclosure,

wherein the front interface member does not extend over the exposed front surface of the front cover member, and wherein the back interface member does not extend over the exposed front surface of the back cover member,

wherein the front interface member comprises polymer strengthened with one or more added fibers, and wherein the back interface member comprises polymer strengthened with one or more added fibers, and

wherein the back cover assembly further includes a back support member and a back attachment member, the back support member supports the back cover member, and the back attachment member is integral with or attached to the back support member, the back attachment member being use to secure the back cover assembly with respect to the side member.

16. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 15,

wherein the front interface member comprises a front protective side member being provided against and around outer edges of the front cover member, and

wherein the back interface member comprises a back protective side member being provided against and around outer edges of the back cover member.

17. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 15, wherein the back cover assembly further include a metal sheet provided adjacent the interface member to provide structural support thereto.

18. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 15, wherein the back cover member comprises a glass sheet having a masking layer coating on a back side, and an anti-smudge coating on a front side.

19. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 18, wherein the glass sheet includes an opening, and wherein a second glass piece is provided within the opening in the glass sheet.

20. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 15, wherein the back cover member comprises an optical lens.

21. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 20, wherein the optical lens comprises an optical adhesive having a predetermined lens configuration.

22. An electronic device enclosure, comprising:

an outer periphery member defining a side surface for the electronic device enclosure;

an internal structure secured to an inner surface of the outer periphery member, the internal structure offset from front and back planar boundaries of the outer periphery member; and

a front cover assembly placed and secured adjacent the front planar boundary of the outer peripheral boundary, thereby providing a front surface for the electronic device enclosure, the front cover assembly including a front cover member and a protective side member, the protective side member being provided against and around the sides of the front cover member, the front cover member having an exposed upper surface,

wherein the protective side member does not extend over the exposed upper surface of the front cover member, and

a back cover assembly placed and secured adjacent the back planar boundary of the outer peripheral boundary, thereby providing a back surface for the electronic device enclosure, the back cover assembly including a back cover member and a back protective side member, the back protective side member being provided against and around the sides of the back cover member, the back cover assembly further including a back support member and a back attachment member, the back support member supporting the back cover member, and the back attachment member being integral with or attached to the back support member, the back support member being integral with or attached to the back protective side member, the back attachment member being use to secure the back cover assembly with respect to the outer periphery member,

wherein the protective side member comprises polymer strengthened with glass fibers.

23. An electronic device enclosed as recited in claim 22, wherein the front cover member comprises glass.

24. An electronic device enclosed as recited in claim 22, wherein the protective side member comprises polyarylamide.

25. An electronic device enclosure as recited in claim 22, wherein the thickness of the protective side member is not more than about 1 mm.