Wearable electronic device with glass shell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12193839-B2
Application number	US-202117315141-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2021
Priority date	May 13, 2020
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A wearable electronic device may include a display and a housing. The housing may include a chassis defining a first portion of a rear exterior surface of the wearable electronic device, a first portion of a side exterior surface of the wearable electronic device, and an internal wall. The housing may also include a glass shell defining a front wall positioned over the display and defining a front exterior surface of the wearable electronic device and a side wall extending from the front wall and overlapping the internal wall, the side wall defining a second portion of the side exterior surface of the wearable electronic device. The wearable electronic device may also include a touch sensing system within the housing and configured to detect a touch input applied to the front exterior surface of the wearable electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable electronic device comprising:
a display;
a housing comprising:
a chassis defining:
a rear portion defining a first portion of a rear exterior surface of the wearable electronic device; and
an internal wall extending from the rear portion;

a glass shell defining:
a front wall positioned over the display and defining a front exterior surface of the wearable electronic device; and
a side wall extending from the front wall and defining:
a convex side exterior surface of the wearable electronic device; and
a concave interior surface opposite the convex side exterior surface, a portion of the side wall overlapping a portion of the internal wall of the chassis such that a gap is defined between the concave interior surface of the side wall and the internal wall of the chassis; and

an adhesive positioned in the gap defined between the concave interior surface of the side wall and the internal wall of the chassis, the adhesive bonded to the concave interior surface of the side wall and to the internal wall of the chassis; and

a touch sensing system within the housing and configured to detect a touch input applied to the front exterior surface of the wearable electronic device.

2. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the adhesive defines an undercut region; and
the concave interior surface of the side wall mechanically interlocks with the undercut region of the adhesive to secure the glass shell to the chassis.

3. The wearable electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the glass shell is secured to the chassis at least in part via a chemical bond between the concave interior surface and the adhesive.

4. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a compliant member within the housing and in contact with the internal wall and the side wall, the compliant member defining a seal between the internal wall and the side wall and configured to retain the adhesive in the gap.

5. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the side wall extends more than half of a distance from the front exterior surface of the wearable electronic device to the rear exterior surface of the wearable electronic device.

6. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the front wall further defines a front interior surface of the wearable electronic device;
the wearable electronic device further comprises an opaque mask material on a portion of the concave interior surface and on a portion of the front interior surface; and
the opaque mask material defines a border around an active area of the display.

7. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display defines:
a first portion configured to display first graphical outputs through the front wall; and
a second portion configured to display second graphical outputs through the side wall.

8. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is formed by flowing a flowable material into the gap and allowing the flowable material to harden.

9. The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising an opaque mask material between a portion of the concave interior surface and the adhesive and configured to visually occlude the adhesive.

10. A watch comprising:
a display;
a capacitive touch-sensing system; and
a housing surrounding the display and the capacitive touch-sensing system and comprising:
a chassis defining:
at least a portion of a rear surface of the watch;
a watch band engagement feature; and
an internal wall; and

a glass shell defining:
a front wall defining a front surface of the watch;
a first pair of side walls having a first length and defining a first pair of side surfaces of the watch; and
a second pair of side walls having a second length greater than the first length and defining a second pair of side surfaces of the watch, at least one side wall of the second pair of side walls defining a convex exterior surface and a concave interior surface opposite the convex exterior surface, a portion of the at least one side wall overlapping a portion of the internal wall such that a gap is defined between the concave interior surface and the internal wall;

an adhesive positioned in the gap defined between the concave interior surface and the internal wall, the adhesive bonded to the concave interior surface and to the internal wall; and
a watch band coupled to the watch band engagement feature.

11. The watch of claim 10 , wherein:
the chassis is formed from metal and defines:
a rear wall defining the portion of the rear surface of the watch; and
a hole extending through the rear wall; and

the watch further comprises:
a sensor cover positioned at least partially in the hole and defining an additional portion of the rear surface of the watch; and
a sensor system configured to detect a biological parameter of a user through the sensor cover.

12. The watch of claim 10 , wherein the watch band engagement feature includes a slot formed in the chassis.

13. The watch of claim 10 , wherein the display is configured to display graphical outputs visible through the front wall and through at least one side wall of the second pair of side walls.

14. The watch of claim 10 , wherein:
the adhesive defines an undercut; and
the concave interior surface of the at least one side wall engages the undercut to mechanically interlock the glass shell to the chassis.

15. A wearable electronic device comprising:
a housing comprising:
a chassis defining:
a rear wall defining a first portion of a rear exterior surface of the wearable electronic device;
an internal wall extending from the rear wall; and
a hole extending through the rear wall;

a glass shell defining:
a front wall defining a front surface of the wearable electronic device; and
four side walls extending from the front wall, each of the four side walls defining a portion of a respective side surface of the wearable electronic device, at least one side wall of the four side walls defining a convex exterior surface and a concave interior surface opposite the convex exterior surface, a portion of the at least one side wall overlapping a portion of the internal wall such that a gap is defined between the concave interior surface and the internal wall; and

a sensor cover covering the hole and defining a second portion of the rear exterior surface of the wearable electronic device;

an adhesive positioned in the gap defined between the concave interior surface and the internal wall, the adhesive bonded to the concave interior surface and to the internal wall
a display within the housing; and
a biometric sensor system within the housing and configured to detect a biological parameter of a user.

16. The wearable electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the biometric sensor system comprises:
an optical emitter configured to emit light through a first transparent portion of the sensor cover; and
an optical sensor configured to detect, through a second transparent portion of the sensor cover, a portion of the light that is reflected by a portion of the user's body.

17. The wearable electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the sensor cover comprises:
a monolithic structure formed from a transparent material;
a masked region defining an opaque region of the sensor cover;
a first unmasked region defining the first transparent portion of the sensor cover; and
a second unmasked region defining the second transparent portion of the sensor cover.

18. The wearable electronic device of claim 15 , further comp

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Hiemstra Daniel J
• De Jong Erik G
• Pandya Sameer

Classifications

• G06F3/044

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F1/181

  Enclosures (for portable computers G06F1/1613) · CPC title

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G04G17/08 Primary

  Housings · CPC title

• A61B5/7435

  Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface · CPC title