Electronic devices with cover layers mounted to displays

• US 9,098,242 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Rappoport, Benjamin M., Franklin, Jeremy C., Lynch, Stephen Brian, Myers, Scott A., Raff, John, Howarth, Richard P., Chen, Wei, Stringer, Christopher, Hoenig, Julian
• Primary Examiner(s): Semenenko, Yuriy
• Application Number:
  US13/249,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20130083491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.02, 361/679.09, 361/679.155, 361/679.21, 361/679.56, 361/807, 361/852, 345/173, 345/182, 345/424
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

An electronic device may be provided with a display cover layer mounted to the device using an adhesive bond with a display. The display may be a flexible display. The flexible display may include Organic Light Emitting Diode display technology. The display may be mounted to a rigid support structure. The rigid support structure may be mounted to a device housing member. Mounting the display cover layer to the display may eliminate the need to mount the display cover layer to the device housing and may allow active display pixels to be visible under the display cover layer closer to the device housing than in conventional devices. Providing the electronic device with active display pixels closer to the device housing may reduce the need for an inactive border around the display and may improve the aesthetic appeal of the electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a rigid support structure mounted within the housing;

a flexible display attached to the rigid support structure; and

a display cover layer mounted to the flexible display using an adhesive that is interposed between the display cover layer and the flexible display, wherein the flexible display includes first and second portions, wherein the first portion lies in a plane parallel to the display cover layer, wherein the second portion is bent out of plane, wherein the flexible display is attached to the rigid support structure using an additional adhesive that is interposed between the flexible display and the rigid support structure, and wherein the rigid support structure comprises at least one slot and wherein the second portion of the flexible display is bent into the at least one slot.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a tensioning member attached to the rigid support structure, wherein the rigid support structure has a curved shape, and wherein the tensioning member provides tension to maintain the curved shape of the rigid support structure.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein a portion of the flexible display is mounted in contact with both the rigid support structure and a portion of the housing.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising at least one internal component in the housing, wherein the rigid support structure provides electromagnetic shielding for the at least one internal component.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a heat sink, wherein the rigid support structure is formed from a heat conducting material, and wherein the rigid support structure conducts heat away from the flexible display toward the heat sink.

6. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing structure;

a display cover layer;

a flexible display having a first portion attached to the display cover layer and having a second portion that bends away from the display cover layer, wherein the housing structure and the display cover layer form an enclosure for the electronic device and wherein an interface that is free of adhesive is formed between the display cover layer and the housing structure; and

a rigid support structure mounted in the housing structure, wherein the rigid support structure has a curved surface and wherein the flexible display layer conforms to the curved surface of the rigid support structure, wherein the housing comprises an internal separating structure, wherein a space between the internal separating structure and a housing sidewall forms a slot, and wherein the second portion of the flexible display is mounted in the slot.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the rigid support structure is mounted to the housing using a fastener.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the rigid support structure is mounted to the housing using mating engagement features on the housing and the rigid support structure.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the engagement features comprise a plurality of mounting tabs on the housing and openings on the rigid support structure and wherein the mounting tabs pass through the openings in the rigid support structure.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the display cover layer comprises a notch, wherein the housing structure comprises a housing sidewall having an extended portion that is substantially perpendicular to the housing sidewall, and wherein the notch in the display cover layer is mounted adjacent to the extended portion of the housing sidewall.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 6 further comprising:

a printed circuit board that is mounted to the rigid support structure, wherein the rigid support structure has a curved shape and wherein the printed circuit board provides tension to maintain the curved shape of the rigid support structure.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing structure having an inner sidewall surface;

a flexible display having a peripheral edge;

a display cover layer that has a peripheral edge and that covers the flexible display, wherein the peripheral edge of the flexible display and the peripheral edge of the display cover layer are aligned and wherein the peripheral edges of the flexible display and display cover layer contact the inner sidewall surface; and

an electrical component, wherein the flexible display is directly attached to the electrical component using an adhesive that is interposed between the flexible display and the electrical component.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the electrical component comprises a battery.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the battery is mounted to the housing structure.