Housing for a portable electronic device

• US 9,686,873 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wong, Chee Yee, Newman, Mark, Lihou, Robert, Mycroft, Damian
• Primary Examiner(s): HAUGHTON, ANTHONY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US14/748,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20150296635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 36167927, 36167941, 36167956, 206701, 206703, 206722, 206724
• 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 1/0269 mounted in a fixed curved configuration, e.g. display curved around the edges of the telephone housing
• 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

Abstract

A housing for a portable electronic device including a first transparent curved portion configured to curve from a front face of the housing to a first side face of the housing; a second transparent curved portion configured to curve from the front face of the housing to a second side face of the housing; a third transparent curved portion configured to curve from a rear face of the housing to the first side face of the housing; and a fourth transparent curved portion configured to curve from the rear face of the housing to the second side face of the housing.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a shell formed of first half shell and a second half shell; and

a curved display,

wherein the first half shell is formed of glass and comprises a front wall having an inner surface and a first transparent curved portion having an inner surface, the inner surface of the first transparent curved portion having a curvature curving from the inner surface of the front wall, and

the curved display has a curved portion which follows the curvature of the inner surface of the first transparent curved portion.

2. A portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the front wall has an outer surface providing a front face of the portable electronic device, a first side wall has an outer surface and the transparent curved portion has a convex curvature curving from the front face to the outer surface of the first side wall.

3. A portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the front wall and the first transparent curved portion are integrally formed.

4. A portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the front face is substantially flat.

5. A portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the display is viewable through the front face of the housing.

6. A portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first half shell comprises a second side wall with an inner surface and a second transparent curved portion having an inner surface, and the inner surface of the second transparent curved portion has a curvature curving from the inner surface of the front wall to the inner surface of the second side wall.

7. A portable electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the front wall has an outer surface providing a front face of the portable electronic device, the second side wall has an outer surface and the second transparent curved portion has a convex curvature curving from the front face to the outer surface of the second side wall.

8. A portable electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the first and second transparent curved portions extend along the length of the shell.

9. A portable electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the front wall, the first transparent curved portion and the second transparent curved portion are integrally formed.

10. A portable electronic device according to claim 6, wherein an outer surface of a first side wall provides a first side face of the shell, an outer surface of the second side wall provides a second side face of the shell and the first half shell is adhered directly to the second half shell at the first side face and the second side face.

11. A portable electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the display has a second curved portion in register with the second transparent curved portion of the housing.

12. A portable electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the distance between the first side face and the second side face defines the width of the housing.

13. A portable electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the second half shell is formed of glass.

14. A portable electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the second half shell comprises a third curved portion, a rear wall and a fourth curved portion, and the rear wall is positioned intermediate the third curved portion and the fourth curved portion.

15. A portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the arc of curvature of the inner surface of the first transparent curved portion increases at a faster rate than the arc of curvature of the outer surface of the first transparent curved portion.

16. A housing of a portable electronic device comprising:

a shell formed of first half shell and a second half shell, wherein the first half shell is formed of glass and comprises a front wall having an inner surface and a transparent curved portion having an inner surface, the inner surface of the transparent curved portion having a convex curvature curving from the inner surface of the front wall; and

a curved display, wherein the curved display has a curved portion which follows the curvature of the inner surface of the transparent curved portion.

17. A housing of a portable electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the first half shell comprises a second side wall with an inner surface and a second transparent curved portion having an inner surface, and the inner surface of the second transparent curved portion has a curvature curving from the inner surface of the front wall to the inner surface of the second side wall.

18. A housing of a portable electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the first and second transparent curved portions extend along the length of the shell.

19. A housing of a portable electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the front wall, the first transparent curved portion and the second transparent curved portion are integrally formed.

20. A housing of a portable electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the second half shell is formed of glass.