Housing for portable electronic device with reduced border region

• US 9,778,685 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sanford, Emery A., Rothkopf, Fletcher R., Lynch, Stephen B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrera, Ramon M
• Application Number:
  US13/246,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20120281381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,198 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• 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 1/1643 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/4902 Pulse width modulation; Pulse position modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An electronic device having a housing structure that is configured to receive at least one glass cover is disclosed. The glass cover serves to cover a display assembly provided within the electronic device. The glass cover can be secured to the housing structure so as to facilitate providing a narrow border between an active display area and an outer edge of the housing structure. The enclosure for the electronic device can be thin yet be sufficiently strong to be suitable for use in electronic devices, such as portable electronic devices.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

an electronic device housing including a bottom surface and side surfaces;

a glass cover for a top surface for the electronic device housing, the glass cover also having a bottom surface;

a display screen assembly having a top surface and a bottom surface, the display screen assembly being provided internal to the electronic device housing, and the top surface of the display screen assembly being secured to a bottom surface of the glass cover; and

at least one peripheral internal support structure secured to a peripheral region of the bottom surface of the glass cover, and secured to the electronic device housing, and wherein the bottom surface of the display screen assembly is not in contact with a support structure.

2. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one peripheral internal support structure is secured to at least one of the side surfaces of the electronic device housing.

3. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 2, wherein the at least one peripheral internal support structure comprises at least one rail.

4. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the display screen assembly comprises a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) layer.

5. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of a periphery of the glass cover is secured to the at least one peripheral internal support structure with an adhesive.

6. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device comprises:

at least one surface support structure secured within the electronic device housing such that the at least one surface support structure is adjacent the bottom surface of the display screen assembly.

7. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the at least one surface support structure comprises a frame.

8. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the at least one surface support structure provides rigidity to the electronic device housing.

9. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the at least one peripheral internal support structure and the at least one surface support structure are metal.

10. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein a thickness of each of the at least one peripheral internal support structure and the at least one surface support structure is about 0.1-0.6 mm thick.

11. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 10, wherein the at least one peripheral internal support structure and the at least one surface support structure are formed from stainless steel.

16. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the display screen assembly comprises a touch screen assembly, the touch screen assembly having technology layers that include at least a first technology layer and a second technology layer.

17. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 16, wherein the first technology layer is a display technology layer and the second technology layer is sensing layer.

18. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 17, wherein the display technology layer is an LCD panel.

19. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 18, wherein the display screen assembly further comprises a back light component.

20. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 7, wherein a separation gap is between the frame and the bottom surface of the display screen assembly.

21. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising an additional peripheral internal support structure and wherein the additional peripheral internal support structures comprise a pair of rails secured at opposite sides of the peripheral region of the glass cover.

22. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one peripheral internal support structure is secured to the electronic device housing and is configured to secure the glass cover and the display screen assembly to the electronic device housing.

12. A method for assembling an electronic device having a product housing, the method comprising:

obtaining a glass cover having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface providing an outer surface for substantially all of at least one surface of the electronic device;

attaching a top surface of a display screen assembly to the bottom surface of the glass cover;

attaching at least one peripheral support structure to a peripheral region of a bottom surface of the glass cover, wherein the glass cover, the display screen assembly and the at least one peripheral support structure forms a resulting display assembly; and

thereafter securing the resulting display assembly to the product housing using the at least one peripheral support structure, wherein the bottom surface of the display screen assembly is not in contact with a support structure.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

attaching at least one surface support structure to the at least one peripheral support structure such that the at least one surface support structure is adjacent but not against the bottom surface of the display screen assembly.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one peripheral support structure includes or couples to a surface support structure that is adjacent and extends across the bottom surface of the display screen assembly.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one peripheral support structure is attached to the peripheral region of the bottom surface of the glass cover such that the at least one peripheral support structure is within a periphery of the glass cover.