Electronic devices with convex displays

• US 10,735,569 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2018
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lynch, Stephen Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Duong, Thoi V
• Application Number:
  US15/879,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20180152551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133308 Support structures for LCD panels, e.g. frames or bezels
• 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: 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: H04M 1/0269 mounted in a fixed curved configuration, e.g. display curved around the edges of the telephone housing

Abstract

Electronic devices may be provided with convex displays. A convex display may be used to maximize the internal volume of a device. Convex displays may be formed from one or more flexible layers. A flexible display layer may be mounted to a rigid support structure or a rigid cover layer. Flexible display layers that conform to the curved shape of a rigid structure may provide additional internal volume in which internal components of the device may be positioned.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a display having first and second display portions, wherein the display comprises a cover layer having a portion with curved inner and outer surfaces, wherein the second display portion has a different curvature than the first display portion and displays images through the curved inner and outer surfaces, and wherein the display and the housing form a surface that wraps around an interior space; and

electronic components located in the interior space.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the electronic device has a front face and a rear face and wherein the display wraps from the front face to the rear face.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the housing has an opening.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises organic light-emitting diode pixels.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises liquid crystal pixels.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the electronic components comprise a battery.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the cover layer comprises a rigid cover layer.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the rigid cover layer comprises glass.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the outer surface comprises a convex outer surface and the inner surface comprises a concave inner surface.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein the display comprises a flexible display layer that conforms to the concave inner surface.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the housing comprises glass.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the entirety of the surface that wraps around the interior space is curved.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises a touch-sensitive layer having an array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises a flexible polymer substrate.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the housing comprises metal.

16. An electronic device, comprising:

a display that wraps around an interior space, wherein the display comprises a glass cover layer having first and second portions, wherein the second portion has greater curvature than the first portion and includes curved inner and outer surfaces; and

electronic components located in the interior space, wherein the display has a first display region, a second display region, and a third display region, wherein the third display region has a different curvature than the first and second display regions and displays images through the curved inner and outer surfaces, and wherein the electronic components are interposed between the first display region and the second display region.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the first display region forms a front surface of the electronic device, wherein the second display region forms a rear surface of the electronic device, and wherein the display displays images continuously across the front and rear surfaces of the electronic device.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the display comprises a touch-sensitive layer having an array of capacitive touch sensor electrodes, wherein the touch-sensitive layer spans across the front and rear surfaces of the electronic device.

19. An electronic device having opposing front and rear surfaces, comprising:

a housing having first and second housing edges;

a display having first and second curved display edges, wherein the display comprises a cover layer having a portion with curved inner and outer surfaces, wherein the display displays images through the curved inner and outer surfaces, wherein the first curved display edge is flush with the first housing edge and the second curved display edge is flush with the second housing edge, wherein the display and the housing form a surface that wraps around an interior space, wherein the surface has a first portion that forms the front surface of the electronic device and a second portion that forms the rear surface of the electronic device, and wherein a first portion of the surface is more curved than a second portion of the surface; and

electronic components located within the interior space.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 19 wherein the display and the housing each have a convex shape.