Electronic device including clad components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12150264-B1
Application number	US-202418651139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 30, 2024
Priority date	May 5, 2023
Publication date	Nov 19, 2024
Grant date	Nov 19, 2024

Abstract

A housing for an electronic device can include an exterior titanium portion, an interior metal joined to the exterior titanium portion, the interior metal being a different metal than the exterior titanium portion, and an intermetallic compound having a thickness of less than 1 μm disposed between the interior metal and the exterior titanium portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A housing for an electronic device, comprising:
an exterior titanium portion;
an interior aluminum joined to the exterior titanium portion; and
an intermetallic interface disposed between the exterior titanium portion and the interior aluminum, the intermetallic interface having a thickness disposed between the interior metal and the exterior titanium portion.

2. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the intermetallic interface has a thickness of less than 1 μm.

3. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the intermetallic interface has a thickness of less than 200 nm.

4. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the intermetallic interface comprises a high magnesium phase.

5. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the intermetallic interface is free of discrete oxide particles.

6. The housing of claim 1 , wherein:
the intermetallic interface comprises a continuous layer between the interior metal and the exterior titanium portion; and
the intermetallic interface separates the interior metal from the exterior titanium portion.

7. The housing of claim 1 , wherein:
the intermetallic interface comprises a discontinuous layer between the interior metal and the exterior titanium portion; and
the interior metal contacts the exterior titanium portion.

8. A housing for an electronic device, comprising:
an exterior titanium portion at least partially defining a first engagement feature; and
an interior aluminum portion joined to the exterior titanium portion, the interior aluminum portion at least partially defining an engagement surface having engagement features; and
a non-metallic portion engaging the engagement features to join the non-metallic portion to the interior aluminum portion.

9. The housing of claim 8 , wherein the non-metallic portion comprises plastic.

10. The housing of claim 8 , wherein the engagement features comprise a plurality of pores of an oxide layer.

11. The housing of claim 10 , wherein:
a density of the plurality of pores is between approximately 30% and 65%; and
an average pore depth of the plurality of pores is between 25 μm and 50 μm.

12. The housing of claim 8 , further comprising an intermetallic compound disposed between the exterior titanium portion and the interior aluminum portion, the intermetallic compound comprising Al 3 Ti.

13. The housing of claim 8 , wherein the engagement features comprises a plurality of etched features on the engagement surface of the interior aluminum portion.

14. The housing of claim 8 , further comprising an intermetallic compound between the exterior titanium portion and the interior aluminum portion including a mechanical surface interlocking structure between the exterior titanium portion and the interior aluminum portion.

15. The housing of claim 14 , wherein the intermetallic compound comprises a high magnesium phase.

16. A housing for a portable electronic device, comprising:
a clad sidewall portion at least partially defining an internal volume and an external surface of the portable electronic device, the clad sidewall portion comprising:
a titanium outer portion, the titanium outer portion at least partially defining an engagement surface;
an aluminum inner portion bonded to the titanium outer portion, the aluminum inner portion at least partially defining the engagement surface;
wherein the engagement surface includes at least one of a plurality of pores or a plurality of etches engagement features; and

a non-metallic portion engaging at least one of the plurality of pores of the plurality of etched engagement features to couple the non-metallic portion to the clad sidewall.

17. The housing of claim 16 , wherein the non-metallic portion comprises a moldable material at least partially disposed in at least one of the plurality of pores or the etched engagement features.

18. The housing of claim 16 , wherein the non-metallic portion comprises a polymer.

19. The housing of claim 18 , wherein the polymer comprises resin.

20. The housing of claim 16 , wherein the non-metallic portion is coupled to the engagement surface via a mechanical surface interlocking structure.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Misra Abhijeet
• Li Hoishun
• Mintz Todd S
• Yang Isabel
• Curran James A
• Gao Lei
• Liu Chuan
• Yan Yu

Classifications

• H05K5/0243

  for decorative purposes · CPC title

• H05K5/0217 Primary

  Mechanical details of casings (covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03) · CPC title

• H04M1/0249

  Details of the mechanical connection between the housing parts or relating to the method of assembly · CPC title

• G06F1/1613

  for portable computers (cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202) · CPC title

• B32B15/017 Primary

  one layer being formed of aluminium or an aluminium alloy, another layer being formed of an alloy based on a non ferrous metal other than aluminium · CPC title