Method for manufacturing exterior housing and electronic device comprising same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11516930-B2
Application number	US-202016942908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2020
Priority date	Aug 11, 2015
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device of the present invention comprises: an exterior housing including a first surface facing a first direction, and a second surface facing a second direction opposite to the first direction; a display of which at least a part is exposed through the first surface; and a polymer plate which forms at least a part of the second surface of the housing. The polymer plate comprises: at least one opaque layer; at least one polymer layer that is translucent or transparent and is disposed on the at least one opaque layer; and a coating layer that is disposed on the at least one polymer layer and has a hardness greater than or equal to a selected hardness. Each of the at least one opaque layer, the at least one polymer layer, and the coating layer may comprise a first surface, and a second surface extending from the first surface so that at least a part thereof is bent. Other embodiments are also possible.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable communication device comprising:
a display facing a front side of the portable communication device; and
a rear cover forming a rear side of the portable communication device opposite of the front side, the rear cover including a flat portion and a curved portion extended from the flat portion and forming at least part of a lateral side of the portable communication device, wherein the rear cover includes:
a coating layer having a pencil hardness of 4H or more, one side of the coating layer forming an outer surface of the rear cover; and
a polymer layer disposed under the coating layer, the polymer layer comprising a poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) layer, and a poly carbonate (PC) layer disposed under the PMMA layer,
wherein the coating layer, the PMMA layer, and the PC layer comprise a curved surface portion forming the curved portion of the rear cover.

2. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the rear cover includes an ultraviolet (UV) molding layer disposed under the PC layer and covering a substantially entire area of the flat portion.

3. The portable communication device of claim 2 , wherein the curved portion includes a first curved surface having a first curvature and a second curved surface having a second curvature, and wherein the UV molding layer covers a substantially entire area of the first curved surface and a substantially entire area of the second curved surface.

4. The portable communication device of claim 2 , wherein the flat portion includes an opening through which a camera or a sensor is exposed, and wherein the UV molding layer covers the substantially entire area of the rear cover except the opening.

5. The portable communication device of claim 2 , wherein the UV molding layer includes one or more decoration patterns formed therein.

6. The portable communication device of claim 2 , wherein the rear cover includes a vapor deposition layer formed under the UV molding layer.

7. The portable communication device of claim 6 , wherein the vapor deposition layer forms a physical vapor deposition layer.

8. The portable communication device of claim 6 , wherein the rear cover includes one or more decoration patterns formed above the vapor deposition layer.

9. The portable communication device of claim 2 , the rear cover includes a shield layer formed under the UV molding layer.

10. The portable communication device of claim 9 , wherein the shield layer includes a component for providing a heat-resisting property.

11. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer includes an acrylate having a pencil hardness of 4H or more.

12. The portable communication device of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer includes a component for providing at least one of anti-fingerprint (AF) property, anti-reflective (AR) property, or anti-glare (AG) property.

13. A portable communication device comprising:
a display facing a front side of the portable communication device; and
a rear cover including a flat portion forming a rear side of the portable communication device opposite of the front side, and a curved portion extended from the flat portion and forming at least part of a lateral side of the portable communication device, the rear cover including:
a coating layer with a pencil hardness of 4H or more, one side of the coating layer forming an outer surface of the rear cover;
a polymer layer disposed under the coating layer, the polymer layer comprising a poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) layer disposed under the coating layer, and a poly carbonate (PC) layer disposed under the PMMA layer;
a vapor deposition layer under the PC layer; and
a shield layer formed under the vapor deposition layer,
wherein the coating layer, the PMMA layer, the PC layer, the vapor deposition layer, and the shield layer comprise a curved surface portion forming the curved portion of the rear cover.

14. The portable communication device of claim 13 , wherein the rear cover includes one or more decoration patterns formed between the PC layer and the vapor deposition layer.

15. The portable communication device of claim 13 , wherein the coating layer includes an acrylate having a pencil hardness of 4H or more.

16. An electronic device comprising:
a display disposed at a front side of the electronic device; and
a rear cover disposed at a rear side of the electronic device, and
wherein the rear cover comprises:
a coating layer with a pencil hardness of 4H or more, one side of the coating layer forms an outer surface of the rear cover;
a polymer layer disposed under the coating layer, the polymer layer comprising a poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) layer disposed under the coating layer, and a poly carbonate (PC) layer disposed under the PMMA layer;
a decoration layer disposed under the PC layer
a vapor deposition (VD) layer disposed under the decoration layer; and
a shield layer disposed under the VD layer.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the rear cover further comprises a flat portion, and
wherein the coating layer, the PMMA layer, the PC layer, the decoration layer, the VD layer, and the shield layer are disposed to substantially cover all of the flat portion of the rear cover.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the rear cover further comprises a curved portion extended from the flat portion and having a predetermined curvature, and
wherein the coating layer, the PMMA layer, the PC layer, the decoration layer, the VD layer, and the shield layer are disposed to substantially cover all of the flat portion and the curved portion of the rear cover.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the curved portion further comprises a first curved surface configured to have a first curvature and a second curved surface configured to have a second curvature.

20. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the flat portion of the rear cover further comprises an opening where a camera or at least one sensor is exposed, and
wherein the coating layer, the PMMA layer, the PC layer, the decoration layer, the VD layer, and the shield layer are disposed to substantially cover all of the rear cover except the opening.

21. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the decoration layer has decoration patterns, and
wherein the decoration patterns are lenticular patterns having repeated stripes in a given direction.

22. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the coating layer further comprises a high-hardness acrylate.

23. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the coating layer further comprises a component for providing at least one of anti-fingerprint (AF) property, anti-reflective (AR) property, or anti-glare (AG) property.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Young-Gyun
• Kim Minjung
• Oh Jeeyoung
• Lee Gyoosug

Classifications

• B32B27/08

  of synthetic resin · CPC title

• B32B27/36

  comprising polyesters · CPC title

• B29C43/003

  characterised by the choice of material · CPC title

• H04M1/02

  Constructional features of telephone sets · CPC title

• B32B2307/536

  Hardness · CPC title