Textured surface for titanium parts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11340652-B2
Application number	US-201916584741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2019
Priority date	Sep 27, 2018
Publication date	May 24, 2022
Grant date	May 24, 2022

Abstract

This application relates to an enclosure for a portable electronic device. The enclosure includes a titanium substrate having a textured surface that includes randomly distributed peaks separated from each other by valleys, where tops of the peaks are separated from bottoms of the valleys by at least a minimum separation distance such that the textured surface is characterized as having an Sq (root mean square height) that is greater than 0.3 micrometers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An enclosure for a portable electronic device, the enclosure comprising:
a titanium substrate having a textured surface that includes randomly distributed peaks separated from each other by valleys, wherein tops of the peaks are separated by bottoms of the valleys by at least a minimum separation distance such that the textured surface is characterized as having an Sq (root mean square height) that is greater than 0.3 micrometers; and
a coating that overlaying the textured surface, wherein the coating includes dye particles.

2. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the minimum separation distance between the tops of the peaks and the bottoms of the valleys is 3 micrometers or greater.

3. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the textured surface has a gloss value that is less than 1 gloss unit as measured with a 20 degree gloss meter.

4. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the textured surface has a gloss value that is less than 2 gloss units as measured with a 60 degree gloss meter.

5. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the textured surface has a gloss value that is less than 10 gloss units as measured with an 85 degree gloss meter.

6. The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the textured surface has an Sdq (root mean square gradient) between 0.2 micrometers to 0.5 micrometers.

7. An enclosure for a portable electronic device, the enclosure comprising:
a titanium substrate that includes an external textured surface having alternating peaks and valleys suitable for diffusely reflecting visible light that is incident at the external textured surface, wherein tops of the peaks are separated by bottoms of the valleys by at least a minimum depth such that the titanium substrate is imparted with a gloss value that is less than 2 gloss units as measured at 20 degrees relative to the external textured surface when the visible light is incident at the external textured surface, the external textured surface having an Sdq (root mean square gradient) between 0.2 micrometers to 0.5 micrometers.

8. The enclosure of claim 7 , wherein the gloss value is less than 5 gloss units as measured at 60 degrees relative to the external textured surface, and the gloss value is less than 10 gloss units as measured at 85 degrees relative to the external textured surface.

9. The enclosure of claim 7 , further comprising:
a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating that overlays the titanium substrate.

10. The enclosure of claim 7 , wherein the external textured surface is characterized as having an Sq that is greater than 0.3 micrometers.

11. The enclosure of claim 7 , wherein the minimum depth that separates the tops of the peaks and the bottoms of the valley is 3 micrometers or greater.

12. The enclosure of claim 7 , wherein the titanium substrate has a Vickers hardness of 350 HV.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Curran James A
• Postak Sonja R
• Mintz Todd S

Classifications

• H04M1/0283

  for providing a decorative aspect, e.g. customization of casings, exchangeable faceplate · CPC title

• H05K5/04 Primary

  Metal casings · CPC title

• C25D11/026

  Anodisation with spark discharge · CPC title

• C25D11/022

  Anodisation on selected surface areas · CPC title

• C25D11/26 Primary

  of refractory metals or alloys based thereon · CPC title