Sapphire laminates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10052848-B2
Application number	US-201313783262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2013
Priority date	Mar 6, 2012
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

Various sapphire and laminate structures are discussed herein. One embodiment may take the form of a sapphire structure having a first sapphire sheet with a first sapphire plane type forming the major surface and a second sapphire sheet having a second different sapphire plane type forming the major surface. The first and second sapphire sheets are fused together to form the sapphire structure.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing having a height, a width greater than the height, and a length greater than the width; and
a cover glass, comprising:
a first sapphire sheet that is a single crystal structure having a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface, each surrounded by four minor surfaces, including two first minor surfaces parallel to the length of the housing and two second minor surfaces parallel to a width of the housing, the first sapphire sheet configured to receive a touch input; and
a second sapphire sheet that is a single crystal structure having a third major surface and a fourth major surface opposite the third major surface, each surrounded by four additional minor surfaces, including two third minor surfaces parallel to the length of the housing and two fourth minor surfaces parallel to a width of the housing, the second sapphire sheet configured to couple to the housing; and
an adhesive in direct contact with the second major surface of the first sapphire sheet and the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet and bonding the first sapphire sheet to the second sapphire sheet, wherein:
the first major surface of the first sapphire sheet has a first sapphire crystallographic plane orientation and the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet has a second sapphire crystallographic plane orientation that differs from the first sapphire crystallographic plane orientation
the two first minor surfaces and the two second minor surfaces of the first sapphire sheet are coplanar with the two third minor surfaces and the two fourth minor surfaces of the second sapphire sheet, respectively; and
a sapphire crystallographic plane orientation of the two first minor surfaces of the first sapphire sheet is different from a sapphire crystallographic plane orientation of the two third minor surfaces of the second sapphire sheet.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the cover glass is less than 1 mm thick.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the cover glass comprises a chamfered edge, the chamfered edge comprises one of a rounded chamfer or an angled chamfer.

4. An electronic device comprising:
a cover having a height, a width greater than the height, and a length greater than the width and comprising a sapphire structure, the sapphire structure comprising:
a first sapphire sheet that is a single sapphire crystal, the first sapphire sheet having a first major surface defining a user input surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface;
a second sapphire sheet that is a single sapphire crystal having a third major surface and a fourth major surface opposite the third major surface, the second sapphire sheet joined to the first sapphire sheet along a bonding interface that is parallel with the second major surface of the first sapphire sheet and the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet, the second sapphire sheet configured for engagement with a separate component of the electronic device along the fourth major surface; and
an adhesive directly contacting the second major surface of the first sapphire sheet and the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet, wherein:
the first major surface of the first sapphire sheet and the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet have a common sapphire crystallographic plane orientation;
the first and second sapphire sheets each have four minor surfaces;
each of the minor surfaces of the first sapphire sheet is coplanar with a corresponding one of the minor surfaces of the second sapphire sheet; and
at least one of the minor surfaces of the first sapphire sheet and at least one of the minor surfaces of the second sapphire sheet are parallel to the length of the cover and have different sapphire crystallographic plane orientations.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the cover comprises at least one of:
a cover glass;
a back plate; or
a lens for a camera.

6. An electronic device comprising:
a cover glass having a height, a width orthogonal to the height, and a length orthogonal to the width, the cover glass comprising:
a first sapphire sheet that is a single crystal and including a first major surface, a second major surface opposite the first major surface, and four minor surfaces surrounding the first and second major surfaces and including two first minor surfaces parallel to the length of the cover glass and two second minor surfaces parallel to a width of the cover glass, the first sapphire sheet positioned at an exterior of the electronic device;
a second sapphire sheet that is a single crystal and including a third major surface, a fourth major surface opposite the third major surface, and four additional minor surfaces surrounding the third and fourth major surfaces and including two third minor surfaces parallel to the length of the cover glass and two fourth minor surfaces parallel to the width of the cover glass; and
an adhesive in direct contact with the second major surface of the first sapphire sheet and the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet, wherein:
the first major surface of the first sapphire sheet and the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet have a common sapphire crystallographic plane orientation;
the two first minor surfaces and the two second minor surfaces of the first sapphire sheet are coplanar with the two third minor surfaces and the two fourth minor surfaces of the second sapphire sheet, respectively; and
a sapphire crystallographic plane orientation of the two first minor surfaces of the first sapphire sheet is different from a sapphire crystallographic plane orientation of the two third minor surfaces of the second sapphire sheet.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein:
the first major surface of the first sapphire sheet of the cover glass includes a lapped and polished surface; and
the third major surface of the second sapphire sheet of the cover glass includes a lapped and polished surface.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein:
the second major surface of the first sapphire sheet of the cover glass includes a lapped and polished surface; and
the fourth major surface of the second sapphire sheet of the cover glass includes a lapped and polished surface.

9. The electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising an oleophobic coating on at least one of the first sapphire sheet or the second sapphire sheet of the cover glass.

10. The electronic device of claim 6 , further comprising an ink coating on at least one of the first sapphire sheet or the second sapphire sheet of the cover glass.

11. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the adhesive includes an index of refraction approximately equal to an index of refraction of at least one of the first sapphire sheet or the second sapphire sheet of the cover glass.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Prest Christopher D
• Memering Dale N
• Pakula David A
• Dinh Richard Hung Minh
• Yan Vincent
• Huey Jason

Classifications

• C04B2237/704

  of one or more of the ceramic layers or articles · CPC title

• Y10T428/24488

  Differential nonuniformity at margin · CPC title

• C04B37/008

  by means of an interlayer consisting of an organic adhesive, e.g. phenol resin or pitch · CPC title

• B32B18/00

  Layered products essentially comprising ceramics, e.g. refractory products · CPC title

• B32B17/10045

  with at least one intermediate layer consisting of a glass sheet · CPC title