Electronic device including plate, plate, and method for manufacturing plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12501568-B2
Application number	US-202217810161-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2022
Priority date	Jun 30, 2021
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an electronic device may comprise a housing including a front plate and a rear plate and a display. At least one of the front plate or the rear plate may include a plate exposed to an outside. The plate may include a metal member including a first metal and an oxide layer formed on at least one surface of the metal member. The metal member may comprise a first portion including irregularities formed by at least one second metal included in a first solution, the at least one second metal being substituted for the a portion of the metal member, the at least one second metal being removed from the metal member by the first solution and a flat second portion etched by the first solution.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a housing including a front plate facing in a first direction and a rear plate facing in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and a display disposed in the housing and including a screen area exposed through the front plate, wherein at least one of the front plate or the rear plate includes a plate exposed to an outside, wherein the plate comprises:
a metal member including a first metal; and
an oxide layer formed on at least one surface of the metal member, and
wherein the at least one surface of the metal member comprises:
a first portion including irregularities formed by at least one second metal included in a first solution, the at least one second metal being substituted for a portion of the metal member, the at least one second metal being removed from the metal member by the first solution, the irregularities being formed at positions, of the metal member, where the at least one second metal is removed, wherein the irregularities included in the first portion are irregularly distributed in the at least one surface of the metal member; and
a flat second portion etched by the first solution, and
wherein a height of the first portion is less than a height of the flat second portion.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first portion is smaller than a thickness of the flat second portion, and
wherein the oxide layer formed on the at least one surface of the metal member is formed on the first portion and the flat second portion such that the oxide layer formed on a surface of the irregularities extends from the height of the first portion toward the outside beyond the height of the flat second portion.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a gloss level of the first portion is lower than a gloss level of the flat second portion.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plate has a gloss level range from 15 gloss unit (GU) to 45 GU depending on a position in the plate.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a roughness of the first portion is larger than a roughness of the flat second portion.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
15 to 65 irregularities are included in a unit area of the metal member, and a diameter of the irregularities is in a range from 30 μm to 215 μm.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first solution, together with the at least one second metal, includes:
at least one of nitric acid, sulfuric acid, oxalic acid, phosphoric acid, or chromic acid having a concentration in a range from 50% to 100%, or at least one of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, or sodium phosphate having a concentration in a range from 5% to 80%.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first metal is aluminum and an aluminum alloy, the at least one second metal is at least one metal having an ionization tendency lower than an ionization tendency of the aluminum, and a concentration of the at least one second metal included in the first solution is in a range from 0.1% to 10%.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a coating layer disposed on the oxide layer.

10 . A plate comprising:
a metal member including a first metal; and an oxide layer formed on at least one surface of the metal member, wherein the at least one surface of the metal member comprises:
a first portion including irregularities formed by at least one second metal included in a first solution, the at least one second metal being substituted for a portion of the metal member, the at least one second metal being removed from the metal member by the first solution, the irregularities being formed at positions, of the metal member, where the at least one second metal is removed, wherein the irregularities included in the first portion are irregularly distributed in the at least one surface of the metal member; and
a flat second portion is etched by the first solution, and
wherein a height of the first portion is less than a height of the flat second portion.

11 . A method for manufacturing a plate, the method comprising:
a surface forming process for forming a metal member including a first metal, the metal member including a first portion and a flat second portion, the first portion including irregularities formed by at least one second metal included in a first solution, the at least one second metal being substituted for a portion of the metal member metal, the at least one second metal being removed from the metal member by the first solution, the irregularities being formed at positions, of the metal member, where the at least one second metal is removed, the flat second portion being etched by the first solution, wherein a height of the first portion is less than a height of the flat second portion, and the irregularities included in the first portion are irregularly distributed in at least one surface of the metal member; and an anodizing process for forming an oxide layer formed on the at least one surface of the metal member.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the anodizing processing comprises forming the oxide layer on the first portion and the flat second portion such that the oxide layer formed on a surface of the irregularities extends from the height of the first portion toward the outside beyond the height of the flat second portion.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein a gloss level of the first portion is lower than a gloss level of the flat second portion.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the plate has a gloss level range from 15 gloss unit (GU) to 45 GU depending on a position in the plate.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein a roughness of the first portion is larger than a roughness of the flat second portion.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
15 to 65 irregularities are included in a unit area of the metal member, and a diameter of the irregularities is in a range from 30 μm to 215 μm.

17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
a machining process, a polishing process, and a degreasing process performed before performing the surface forming process; and a sealing process and an elution process performed after performing the anodizing process.

18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising forming a coating layer disposed on the oxide layer.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Song Kyunghwan
• Kim Goeun
• Kim Inkyu
• Kim Hyunsoo
• Park Hyesun
• Lee Heesung
• Heo Youngjun
• Choi Hyunsuk

Classifications

• C25D11/18

  After-treatment, e.g. pore-sealing · CPC title

• C25D11/04

  of aluminium or alloys based thereon · CPC title

• C23F1/36

  for etching aluminium or alloys thereof · CPC title

• C23F1/20

  for etching aluminium or alloys thereof · CPC title

• C25D11/16

  Pretreatment {, e.g. desmutting} · CPC title