Electronic devices with structural glass members

• US 9,864,403 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Franklin, Jeremy C., Rothkopf, Fletcher R., Ternus, John P., Gibbs, Kevin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Charles
• Application Number:
  US13/310,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20130140965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,230 Days
• Field of Search: 349 58- 60
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]

Abstract

Electronic devices may be provided having internal components mounted to a structural glass support member. The structural glass support member may have a planar front surface that forms a front surface of the device. The structural glass support member may have bent portions that form sidewall surfaces of the device. Portions of the structural glass support member may form a transparent display cover layer. A rigid or flexible display may be mounted to the structural glass support member. Additional internal device components may be mounted to the display. A thin enclosure for enclosing the internal components in the device may be mounted to the structural glass support member. The thin enclosure may be mounted to the structural glass support member using a peripheral member. The thin enclosure may be free from attachments to internal components or may be adhesively bonded to one or more internal components.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing structure that covers at least a rear surface of the electronic device, wherein the rear surface has a planar portion; and

a glass member comprising;

a planar portion covering an opposing front surface of the electronic device;

a peripheral edge substantially perpendicular to the planar portion; and

an engagement feature protruding from the peripheral edge and defining an angled surface; and

a protective member molded to the glass member along the peripheral edge and interlocked with the angled surface.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the protective member comprises a material selected from the group consisting of:

polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, thermoplastic polyurethane, silicone, and rubber.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 further comprising a plurality of internal device components, wherein the glass member serves as a structural support member for at least some of the plurality of internal device components.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the glass member has thickness of 0.6 mm to 1 mm, the electronic device further comprising a touch sensitive display mounted to an interior surface of the glass member.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the housing structure has additional engagement features, and wherein the protective member is molded into engagement with the additional engagement features.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the engagement feature is a dovetail.

7. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing structure that forms at least a rear exterior surface of the electronic device, wherein the rear surface has a planar portion; and

a unitary glass member defining;

a first substantially planar surface that forms at least an opposing front exterior surface of the electronic device; and

a second surface opposite the first surface and facing an interior volume of the electronic device; and

at least one protrusion extending away from the second surface and forming a flange, the flange being attached to the housing structure.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7, further comprising adhesive, wherein the housing structure is attached to the flange using the adhesive.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein:

the unitary glass member comprises bent sidewall portions that define sidewalls of the electronic device; and

the flange is positioned on one of the bent sidewall portions.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 further comprising:

a display mounted to the unitary glass member; and

at least one internal component mounted to the display.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 wherein the at least one internal component comprises a battery attached to the display using adhesive.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

a glass member defining;

an exterior surface;

an interior surface opposite and substantially parallel to the exterior surface;

an opening extending through the glass member from the exterior surface to the interior surface;

display structures covered by the glass member; and

a molded member having a portion that extends through the opening.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the glass member comprises bent sidewall portions that define sidewalls of the electronic device.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the display structures include a flexible display having bent portions that conform to the bent sidewall portions of the glass member.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein:

the opening is one of a plurality of openings;

the molded member is coupled to a peripheral edge of the glass member; and

the molded member has a plurality of portions that extend into the plurality of openings.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 15 further comprising a housing structure mounted to the glass member.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein:

the housing structure defines openings; and

at least a portion of the molded member extends into the openings in the housing structure.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 12 further comprising an additional glass member mounted to the glass member.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein:

the additional glass member defines additional openings;

the molded member is coupled to a peripheral edge of the glass member; and

at least a portion of the molded member extends into the additional openings in the additional glass member.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 18 further comprising an opaque masking layer formed on an at least a portion of an internal surface of the additional glass member.

21. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the glass member is a hollow glass support member that defines:

a planar front surface of the electronic device;

a planar rear surface of the electronic device; and

sidewall surfaces of the electronic device.

22. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the portion of the molded member that extends through the opening is joined to a remaining portion of the molded member at two locations.

23. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing structure that forms at least a rear surface of the electronic device; and

a curved glass member comprising;

at least one mounting feature formed in the curved glass member; and

a non-planar interior surface; and

a non-planar exterior surface that defines;

an exterior front surface of the electronic device; and

at least one exterior sidewall of the electronic device.

24. The electronic device defined in claim 23 wherein the mounting feature is defined by a recess in the curved glass member.

25. The electronic device defined in claim 24 wherein:

the recess includes a notch in the curved glass member;

the housing structure includes a bent portion; and

the bent portion of the housing structure is mounted to the notch in the curved glass member using an adhesive.

26. The electronic device defined in claim 23, wherein:

the electronic device comprises a molded plastic member;

the mounting feature is an opening that extends through the curved glass member from the interior surface to the exterior surface of the curved glass member; and

at least a portion of the molded plastic member extends into the opening in the curved glass member.

27. The electronic device defined in claim 23, wherein:

the electronic device comprises a molded plastic member;

the mounting feature is an opening that extends through the curved glass member from the interior surface to a peripheral edge of the curved glass member; and

at least a portion of the molded plastic member extends into the opening in the curved glass member.

28. The electronic device defined in claim 23 wherein the mounting feature comprises a protrusion from the interior surface of the curved glass member.

29. The electronic device defined in claim 28 wherein:

the protrusion is a flange extending from the interior surface of the glass member; and

the housing structure is attached to the flange.

30. The electronic device defined in claim 23, wherein:

the electronic device further comprises a molded protective member;

the mounting feature protrudes from a peripheral edge of the curved glass member;

the mounting feature interlocks with the molded protective member to retain the molded protective member to the peripheral edge.

31. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing structure that forms at least a rear surface of the electronic device; and

a glass member having a planar portion that forms an opposing front surface of the electronic device, wherein the glass member includes at least one bent portion that forms a sidewall of the electronic device, and

wherein the housing structure is mounted to an interior surface of the sidewall.

32. The electronic device defined in claim 31 wherein the housing structure comprises at least first and second bent portions and wherein the first bent portion is mounted to the interior surface of the sidewall using adhesive.

33. The electronic device defined in claim 31 further comprising an attachment member and a fastener, wherein, the attachment member is attached to the interior surface of the sidewall and wherein the fastener is attached to the attachment member using the fastener.

34. The electronic device defined in claim 31 further comprising a peripheral member attached to the bent portion of the glass member and to the housing structure.

35. The electronic device of claim 34, wherein the peripheral member is formed on the glass member by molding the peripheral member onto the peripheral edge and into mounting features formed in the glass member.