Insert molding of bulk amorphous alloy into open cell foam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10087505-B2
Application number	US-201514715326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2015
Priority date	Jul 3, 2012
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

Provided in one embodiment is a method of making use of foams as a processing aid or to improve the properties of bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy materials. Other embodiments include the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy/foam composite materials made in accordance with the methods.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An article comprising:
a metal foam; and
a shell comprising a bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy having a different composition than the metal foam, the shell enclosing at least a portion of the metal foam, filling at least a portion of voids defined by the metal foam, and forming a metal-to-metal bond with the metal foam.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the article is a portion of a housing for an electronic device.

3. The article of claim 2 , wherein the housing defines an opening configured to receive a display.

4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the metal foam is not a bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy.

5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the metal foam comprises an open cell metal foam.

6. The article of claim 1 , wherein:
the article comprises a surface;
the metal foam defines a first portion of the surface; and
the shell defines a second portion of the surface.

7. An article comprising:
a metal foam; and
a shell comprising a bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy having a different composition than the metal foam, the shell enclosing at least a portion of the metal foam and filling at least a portion of voids defined by the metal foam,
wherein the article has a thickness greater than a critical casting thickness of the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy.

8. The article of claim 7 , wherein the article is a portion of a housing for an electronic device.

9. The article of claim 7 , wherein the metal foam is not a bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy.

10. The article of claim 7 , further comprising a metal-to-metal bond between the metal foam and the shell.

11. The article of claim 7 , wherein the metal foam comprises an open cell metal foam.

12. A housing of an electronic device, comprising:
a housing component defining a central opening and comprising:
a bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy shell defining a portion of an outer surface of the housing component; and
a first metal foam coupled to the shell in a corner region of the housing component; and
a second metal foam coupled to the shell in an other region of the housing component, at least one of a composition or a porosity of the second metal foam differing from a composition or a porosity of the first metal foam.

13. The housing of claim 12 , wherein
the first metal foam defines a first void size; and
the second metal foam defines a second void size larger than the first void size.

14. The housing of claim 13 , wherein the corner region has a higher strength than the other region.

15. The housing of claim 12 , wherein the second foam is more ductile than the first foam.

16. The housing of claim 12 , wherein the composition of the first metal foam differs from the composition of the second metal foam.

17. The housing of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the first metal foam and the second metal foam comprises an open cell foam.

18. The article of claim 8 , wherein the housing defines an opening configured to receive a display.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Prest Christopher D
• Scott Matthew S
• Zadesky Stephen P
• Stratton Dermot J
• Poole Joseph C

Classifications

• C22C1/11

  Making amorphous alloys · CPC title

• B22D29/002

  by leaching, washing or dissolving · CPC title

• C22C1/08 Primary

  Alloys with open or closed pores · CPC title

• B22D19/0081 Primary

  pretreatment of the insert, e.g. for enhancing the bonding between insert and surrounding cast metal · CPC title

• B32B5/18

  characterised by features of a layer {of} foamed material · CPC title