Techniques for strengthening glass covers for portable electronic devices

• US 8,937,689 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Prest, Christopher, Zadesky, Stephen Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoan C
• Application Number:
  US12/895,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20110019123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 349/12, 345173-183
• US Class Current: 349/12
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 19/00 Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by mechanical means sand-blasting, grinding, or polishing glass B24
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 21/002 to perform ion-exchange between alkali ions C03C21/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/007 Pressure-resistant sight glasses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• 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: Y10T 428/24777 Edge feature

Abstract

Apparatus, systems and methods for improving strength of a thin glass cover for an electronic device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the glass member can have improved strength by forming its edges with a predetermined geometry and/or by chemically strengthening the edges. Advantageously, the glass member can be not only thin but also adequately strong to limit susceptibility to damage. In one embodiment, the glass member can pertain to a glass cover for a housing for an electronic device. The glass cover can be provided over or integrated with a display, such as a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) display.

Claims

1. A consumer electronic product, comprising:

a housing having a front surface, a back surface and side surfaces;

electrical components provided at least partially internal to the housing, the electrical components including at least a controller, a memory, and a display, the display being provided at or adjacent the front surface of the housing; and

a cover glass provided at or over the front surface of the housing such that it is provided over the display, the cover glass being strengthened by having edges of the glass cover correspond to a predetermined edge geometry and by chemically treating the edges of the glass cover,

wherein the thickness of the cover glass is between about 0.5-2.5 mm,

wherein the strength reduction at the edges of the glass cover is not more than 10% lower than the strength at non-edge portions of the glass cover, and

wherein the consumer electronic product is a mobile phone, portable media player, notebook computer or tablet computer.

2. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 1,

wherein the predetermined edge geometry insures that at least a plurality of the edges of the cover glass have an edge radii of at least 0.1 mm.

3. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 1,

wherein the predetermined edge geometry insures that at least a plurality of the edges of the cover glass have an edge radii of at least 0.2 mm.

4. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 1, wherein the consumer electronic device does not include a border or bezel for the cover glass at the one or more edges.

5. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 1, wherein the glass sheet is alumino-silicate glass.

6. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 1, wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display.

7. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 1, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD).

8. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 1, wherein the cover glass extends across the front surface of the housing from one of the side surfaces to another of the side surfaces such that the cover glass is provided over the side surfaces.

9. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 1, wherein, following the chemical treatment of the edges of the glass cover, the cover glass has a strength that is substantially uniform across the surface of the cover glass, including the edges.

10. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 1, wherein the depth of compressive layer resulting from the chemically strengthening of the cover glass is at least 10 microns.

11. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 10, wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display.

12. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 1, wherein the cover glass extends completely across the front surface of the housing.

13. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 1,

wherein the cover glass extends across the front surface of the housing from one of the side surfaces to another of the side surfaces such that the cover glass is provided over the side surfaces, and

wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display.

14. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 1,

wherein the consumer electronic device does not include a border or bezel for the cover glass at the one or more edges,

wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display, and

wherein the consumer electronic product is a mobile phone.

15. A consumer electronic product, comprising:

a housing having a front surface, a back surface and side surfaces;

electrical components provided at least partially internal to the housing, the electrical components including at least a controller, a memory, and a display, the display being provided at or adjacent the front surface of the housing; and

a cover glass provided at or over the front surface of the housing such that it is provided over the display and extends across the front surface of the housing from one edge of the housing to another edge of the housing, the cover glass being strengthened by having edges of the glass cover correspond to a predetermined edge geometry and by chemically treating the edges of the glass cover,

wherein the thickness of the cover glass is between about 0.5-2.5 mm, and

wherein the predetermined edge geometry has a predetermined edge radius of at least 20% of the thickness applied to the corners of the edges of the cover glass,

wherein the strength reduction at the edges of the glass cover is not more than 10% lower than the strength at non-edge portions of the glass cover,

wherein the consumer electronic product is a handheld electronic device, and

wherein the consumer electronic product does not include a border or bezel for the cover glass at the edges of the cover glass.

16. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 15, wherein the depth of compressive layer resulting from the chemically strengthening of the cover glass is at least 10 microns.

17. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 15, wherein the cover glass extends completely across the front surface of the housing.

18. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 15, wherein the consumer electronic product is a mobile phone, portable media player, notebook computer or tablet computer.

19. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 15, wherein, following the chemical treatment of the edges of the glass cover, the cover glass has a strength that is substantially uniform across the surface of the cover glass, including the edges.

20. A consumer electronic product as recited in claim 15, wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display.