Glass enclosure

• US 10,765,020 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2019
• Issued: 09/01/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Prest, Christopher, Sanford, Emery A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US16/538,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20190364680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13338 Input devices, e.g. touch panels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• 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 1/1643 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 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: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0249 Details of the mechanical connection between the housing parts or relating to the method of assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0086 portable, e.g. battery operated apparatus casings for switching devices H01H9/02
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0091 Housing specially adapted for small components for resistors H01C; for capacitors H01G; for integrated circuits H01L23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0217 Mechanical details of casings covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A handheld computing device that includes an enclosure having structural walls formed from a glass material that can be radio-transparent. The enclosure can be formed from a hollow glass tube or two glass members bonded together. A laser frit bonding process may be used to hermetically seal the two glass members together to create a water resistant electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a touchscreen display; and

a glass enclosure surrounding the touchscreen display, the glass enclosure comprising;

an integral glass body section defining a front wall that is positioned over the touchscreen display and extends across the front wall of the glass enclosure, a rear wall that is opposite to the front wall, and a set of sidewalls that extends from the front wall to the rear wall, the integral glass body section defining an opening, the touchscreen display coupled to an inner surface of the front wall; and

a glass end cap covering the opening and attached to the integral glass body section.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the integral glass body section has a seamless profile that is defined by the front wall, the rear wall, and the set of sidewalls;

the glass end cap is a first glass end cap;

the opening is a first opening;

the integral glass body section defines a second opening; and

the glass enclosure further defines a second glass end cap covering the second opening and attached to the integral glass body section.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein:

the first glass end cap is positioned within the first opening; and

the second glass end cap is positioned within the second opening.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first and second glass end caps are laser frit bonded to the integral glass body section to define a hermetically sealed internal volume.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein an ink layer is disposed over an internal surface of the set of sidewalls to define an opaque region along an edge of the touchscreen display.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the integral glass body section is formed using a blow molding process to define the front wall, the rear wall, and the set of sidewalls;

the integral glass body section further defines a bottom wall that is opposite to the opening; and

the glass end cap is bonded to the integral glass body section to define a substantially waterproof enclosure.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the glass end cap is laser frit bonded to the integral glass body section to define a seamless interface.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein:

the integral glass body section defines a speaker port; and

a waterproof membrane covers the speaker port.

9. An electronic device comprising:

internal circuitry comprising a wireless transmitter and an internal antenna;

a battery;

a display operably coupled to the internal circuitry and the battery; and

an enclosure enclosing the internal circuitry, the battery, and the display, the enclosure defining;

an integral glass structure surrounding the display and defining a first opening and a second opening opposite to the first opening;

a first glass component bonded to the integral glass structure and covering the first opening; and

a second glass component bonded to the integral glass structure and covering the second opening, the display coupled to an inner surface of one or more of the integral glass structure or the first glass component.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the integral glass structure is a tubular glass structure that defines a front surface of the enclosure and a rear surface of the enclosure;

the internal antenna is configured to transmit wireless signals through at least a portion of the tubular glass structure; and

the display is coupled to an inner surface of the tubular glass structure.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein:

the display is configured to produce a graphical output that is visible through the front surface of the enclosure; and

a capacitive touch sensor is positioned along the inner surface of the tubular glass structure and is configured to detect a touch input along an external surface of the tubular glass structure.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the integral glass structure is a tubular glass structure that defines a front surface of the enclosure;

the tubular glass structure includes an outer glass layer that surrounds an inner glass layer; and

the display is coupled to an inner surface of the tubular glass structure.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein:

the outer glass layer is substantially transparent; and

the inner glass layer defines an opaque portion.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the integral glass structure is a glass band that defines a set of sidewalls of the enclosure;

the first glass component is positioned over the display and defines a front surface of the enclosure;

the second glass component defines a rear surface of the enclosure; and

the display is coupled to the inner surface of the first glass component.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein:

the first glass component is laser frit bonded to a first side of the glass band; and

the second glass component is laser frit bonded to a second side of the glass band that is opposite to the first side of the glass band.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a glass enclosure comprising;

an integral glass body section defining a front surface of the glass enclosure, and a rear surface of the glass enclosure opposite to the front surface;

a first glass cap bonded to the integral glass body section and defining a top surface of the glass enclosure; and

a second glass cap bonded to the integral glass body section and defining a bottom surface of the glass enclosure;

a display positioned below the front surface of the integral glass body section and configured to produce a graphical output along the front surface; and

a touch sensor positioned below the front surface of the integral glass body section and configured to detect a touch input along the front surface, the touch sensor coupled to an inner surface of the integral glass body section.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein:

the integral glass body section is formed from an extruded glass tube;

the first glass cap defines a rounded top edge of the glass enclosure; and

the second glass cap defines a rounded bottom edge of the glass enclosure.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein:

a first polymer coating is disposed over the rounded top edge of the first glass cap; and

a second polymer coating is disposed over the rounded bottom edge of the second glass cap.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein:

the first glass cap is frit bonded to a first surface of the integral glass body section; and

the second glass cap is frit bonded to a second surface of the integral glass body section.

20. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein:

the electronic device includes internal electronic components;

the integral glass body section defines a set of rails; and

the internal electronic components are attached to the set of rails of the integral glass body section.