Forming features in a ceramic component for an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10216233-B2
Application number	US-201514843004-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2015
Priority date	Sep 2, 2015
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A three-dimensional feature is formed in a surface of a component. Material is removed from the component by rotating an abrading tool about a first axis. While the abrading tool is rotated, the component (and/or a shaft coupled to the abrading tool) is rotated on a second axis. The second axis may be transverse to the first axis and may run through a center of the three-dimensional feature. The abrading tool may correspond to the three-dimensional feature. For example, the abrading tool may be configured to contact an entirety of an exterior of the three-dimensional feature during the removal operation, fill the three-dimensional feature during the removal operation, and/or have a shape that corresponds to the shape of the three-dimensional feature in two planes that are normal to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming a three-dimensional feature in a surface of a cover for an electronic device, comprising:
removing material from the cover by rotating a spherical bristle brush including multiple abrasive bristles about a first axis, the outer periphery of the multiple abrasive bristles defines a spherical shape; and
while rotating the spherical bristle brush about the first axis, rotating the cover about a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis; wherein
the spherical bristle brush contacts an entirety of the three-dimensional feature during the operations of removing the material and rotating the cover.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation of removing the material abrades a portion of an exterior of the three-dimensional feature in a first direction and then abrades the portion of the exterior of the three-dimensional feature in a second direction.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation of removing the material forms the three-dimensional feature in a flat area of the surface.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional feature has a concave dome shape and the spherical bristle brush has a convex shape matching the concave dome shape.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation of rotating the cover comprises rotating the cover at least 90 degrees.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation of removing the material comprises polishing the three-dimensional feature.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising polishing the surface of the cover, wherein the surface is planar.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the operation of polishing the surface of the cover comprises polishing the surface of the cover using a flat rotary brush.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second axis runs through a center of the three-dimensional feature.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Franklin Jeremy C
• Babiarz Kristina A

Classifications

• A45C3/001

  Flexible materials therefor · CPC title

• B24B29/04

  for rotationally symmetrical workpieces, e.g. ball-, cylinder- or cone-shaped workpieces · CPC title

• B24B29/005

  using brushes · CPC title

• B24B19/03

  for grinding grooves in glass workpieces, e.g. decorative grooves · CPC title

• A45C2011/002

  Human Necessities · mapped topic