Exposed glass article with inner recessed area for portable electronic device housing

• US 9,946,302 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Franklin, Jeremy C., Leong, Ming, Babiarz, Kristina A., Qian, Amy, Gibbs, Kevin David, Cheung, Eugene C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ketema, Benyam
• Application Number:
  US13/843,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20140078412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: 345173, 65 3014, 65155
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/41 Opaque
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/002 for flat glass, e.g. float glass
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 21/002 to perform ion-exchange between alkali ions C03C21/005 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

Transparent articles for use as outer surfaces of electronic devices and methods therefor are disclosed. A transparent cover can be provided over a display of portable electronic device to provide a protective outer cover over the display. The transparent cover can include material to mark, mask or color a portion of the transparent cover, such portion thereupon becoming opaque. The material can be provided in a recessed portion of an inner surface of the transparent cover, such portion being a portion of the transparent cover that is not over a usable portion of the display. The electronic device can, for example, be a portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for producing a glass article having an opaque border region, the method comprising:

obtaining a glass article for use as a cover for a portable electronic device;

removing glass from a backside of the glass article to form a peripheral mounting interface including at least one peripheral mounting region having a thickness less than a thickness of a central region;

following the removal of the glass, applying at least one layer of material to the peripheral mounting region to form a surface that is flush with or recessed relative to a surface of the central region, thereby forming an attachment surface defined by the at least one layer of material;

affixing the central region and at least a portion of the attachment surface to a front surface of a touch screen display assembly, thereby securing the glass article to the touch screen display assembly; and

assembling the touch screen display assembly and the glass article with a housing such that a front side of the glass article opposite the backside faces away from the housing and is completely exposed.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein;

the glass article is a cover glass for the touch screen display assembly of the portable electronic device; and

an entirety of the front surface of the touch screen display assembly is attached to the glass article.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the glass article is substantially transparent; and

the at least one layer of material at the peripheral mounting region of the backside of the glass sheet renders the peripheral mounting region of the glass sheet opaque.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the glass article is clear; and

the at least one layer of material applied at the peripheral mounting region of the backside of the glass sheet renders the peripheral mounting region of the backside of the glass sheet colored.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one layer of material comprises at least one layer of colored ink or paint.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the applying of the at least one layer of material to the peripheral mounting region of the backside of the glass article comprises:

applying a plurality of layers of material to the peripheral mounting region of the backside of the glass article to form a layered stack of material.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the layered stack of material includes at least one layer of a first material, and at least one layer of second material.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the layered stack of material includes at least one layer of a first material having a first color, and at least one layer of a second material having a second color different from the first color.

9. A method for forming a plurality of glass articles for portable electronic devices, each of the glass articles being configured to serve as a portion of an outer surface of a housing for the corresponding portable electronic device, the method comprising:

obtaining a glass sheet;

singulating the glass sheet to form individual instances of the glass articles;

for a glass article of the individual instances;

forming a recessed boundary region into a peripheral mounting interface on a back side of the glass article instances of the glass articles, the recessed boundary region being recessed relative to a center region of the glass article;

subsequent to forming the recessed boundary, chemically strengthening the glass article;

applying ink to the recessed boundary region of the glass article, such that a surface of the ink within the recessed boundary region is flush with or recessed relative to a surface of the center region; and

adhering the center region of the glass article and at least part of the ink directly to a front surface of a touch screen display assembly such that the back side of the glass article faces the touch screen display assembly and a front side of the glass article opposite and substantially parallel to the back side is completely exposed.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

polishing, subsequent to the chemical strengthening, the glass article.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

applying, subsequent to the chemical strengthening, a translucent protective coating to the front side of the glass article.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region substantially fills the recessed boundary region with the ink.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein, the adhering comprises adhering the center region and the ink to the front surface of the touch screen display assembly with a clear adhesive, such that the clear adhesive is the only component between the back side of the glass article and the front surface of the touch screen display assembly.

14. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region comprises:

applying ink to the recessed boundary region but not the center region or an edge surface of the glass article.

15. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region comprises:

applying ink to the recessed boundary region and to the center region of the glass article; and

removing the ink that has been applied to the center region.

16. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region comprises:

applying a film on the center region but not the recessed boundary region of the glass article;

applying the ink to the recessed boundary region and to the center region of the glass article, the ink being applied to the center region is applied to the film; and

subsequent to applying the ink, removing the film from the center region, thereby removing the ink that has been applied to the center region.

17. A method for producing a transparent article having an opaque border region, the method comprising:

obtaining an article for use as a cover defining an outer surface for a portable electronic device, the article including at least a center region and a peripheral mounting interface on a back side of the article and at least partially surrounding the center region;

removing glass from the peripheral mounting interface of the article;

applying at least one layer of material to a portion of the peripheral mounting interface where the glass was removed such that a thickness of article at the portion of the peripheral mounting interface with the at least one layer of material is equal to or less than a thickness of the article at the center region;

applying an adhesive directly to the at least one layer of material and the center region;

affixing the back side of the article to a front surface of a touch screen display assembly; and

assembling the article and the touch screen display assembly with a housing of the portable electronic device such that the entire front side of the cover parallel to the back side is completely exposed and defines a front surface of the electronic device.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the at least one layer of material comprises at least one layer of colored ink or paint.

19. A method for forming a plurality of glass articles for portable electronic devices, each of the glass articles being configured to serve as a portion of an outer surface of a housing for the corresponding portable electronic device, the method comprising:

obtaining a glass sheet;

singulating the glass sheet to form individual instances of the glass articles;

subsequent to singulating the glass sheet, chemically strengthening a plurality of the individual instances of the glass articles;

for a glass article of the plurality of glass articles;

applying ink to a recessed boundary region of a back side of the glass article such that a top surface of the ink is substantially coplanar with or recessed relative to a surface of a center region of the back side of the glass article, the ink and the recessed boundary region defining at least part of a peripheral mounting interface; and

coupling the peripheral mounting interface and the center region of the glass article to a front surface of a touch screen assembly such that the back side of the glass article faces the touch screen assembly and a front side of the glass article opposite the back side is completely exposed and defines an exterior surface of an electronic device.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

polishing, subsequent to the chemical strengthening, the plurality of the individual instances.

21. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

applying, subsequent to the chemical strengthening, a translucent protective coating to outer surfaces of the glass article.

22. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region substantially fills the recessed boundary region with the ink.

23. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein a top surface of the ink within the recessed boundary region of the glass article is recessed relative to the center region of the glass article.

24. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region of the plurality of the individual instances of the glass article comprises:

applying ink to the recessed boundary region but not the center region of the glass article.

25. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region of the glass article comprises:

applying ink to the recessed boundary region and to the center region of the glass article; and

removing the ink that has been applied to the center region-of the glass article.

26. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the applying of the ink to the recessed boundary region of the glass article comprises:

applying a film on the center region but not the peripheral region of the glass article;

applying ink to the recessed boundary region and to the center region of the glass article, wherein the ink applied to the center region is applied to the film; and

subsequent to applying the ink, removing the film from the center region, thereby removing the ink that has been applied to the center region of the glass article.

27. A portable electronic device, comprising:

an electronic device housing including a bottom surface and side surfaces;

a glass cover having an outer surface that forms at least a portion of an external surface of the electronic device housing, the glass cover including;

a peripheral mounting interface on an inner surface of the glass cover and defining a recessed border area having a thickness that is less than a thickness of a central area of the glass cover; and

an ink layer in the recessed border area and defining an attachment surface that is substantially flush with the central area of the glass cover, the glass cover being affixed to the electronic device housing; and

a touch screen assembly having a top surface and a bottom surface, the touch screen assembly being provided internal to the electronic device housing, and the top surface of the touch screen assembly being adhered to the central area and at least part of the attachment surface of the glass cover.

28. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 27, wherein:

the glass cover is transparent at the central area so that the touch screen assembly is visible from outside of the portable electronic device through the central area; and

the glass cover is opaque at the recessed border area so that the touch screen assembly is not visible from outside of the portable electronic device through the recessed border area.

29. A portable electronic device, comprising:

an electronic device housing including a bottom surface and side surfaces;

a transparent cover including an outer surface that forms at least a portion of an external surface of the electronic device housing, the transparent cover including an inner surface opposite the outer surface and having a recessed area in a peripheral mounting interface substantially surrounding a central area, the recessed area including opaque material disposed thereon, the opaque material having a thickness equal to or less than a difference in thickness between the central area and the recessed area and defining an attachment surface, the transparent cover being attached to a component of the electronic device such that housing completely exposes the outer surface of the transparent cover;

a touch screen assembly having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface of the touch screen assembly being adjacent to the central area and the attachment surface of the inner surface of the transparent cover; and

a bonding layer of transparent adhesive between and in contact with the touch screen assembly and both the central area and the attachment surface of the transparent cover.

30. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 29, wherein the transparent cover comprises a glass cover.

31. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 29, wherein the opaque material comprises at least one layer of ink or paint.

32. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 29, wherein the transparent cover includes a first layer of a first area that provides the outer surface for the portion of the electronic device enclosure, and a second layer provided on the first layer and having a second area that provides the inner surface for the transparent cover.

33. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 29, wherein the transparent cover is transparent at the central area so that the touch screen assembly is visible from outside of the portable electronic device through the central area, and wherein the transparent cover is opaque at the recessed peripheral area so that the touch screen assembly is not visible from outside of the portable electronic device through the recessed peripheral area.