Logo features of a portable computer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016209870-A1
Application number	US-201514832976-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 21, 2015
Priority date	Jan 16, 2015
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An enclosure for a portable computing device is disclosed. The enclosure includes an indicium (e.g., logo) positioned in an opening extending partially through the enclosure. The enclosure includes multiple material removal processes. First, a tool (e.g., laser ablation tool) can be used to ablate the opening defining an ablation having a shape or profile similar to that of the indicium. A second material removal process can remove a region within the ablation to define an indicium support. The second material removal process may be performed by a CNC cutting tool capable of forming the indicium support to a desired precision. As a result, when the indicium is secured with the indicium support, the indicium includes a desired flatness that prevents an undesired reflectivity. In order to ensure the indicium properly fits in the opening, a third material removal process may be performed to define an indention region around the opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An enclosure of a portable computing device, comprising:
a substrate including an exterior region and an opening extending partially through the substrate to define a blind hole; an indicium support disposed in the blind hole at a first depth measured from the exterior region to a top surface of the indicium support; and a relief section in the blind hole, the relief section extending around the indicium support and disposed at a second depth measured from the exterior region to a surface of the relief section, the second depth is greater than the first depth.

2 . The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the indicium support receives an indicium adhesively secured with the indicium support.

3 . The enclosure of claim 2 , wherein the indicium support includes a size and a shape such that the indicium is co-planar with respect to the exterior region of the substrate.

4 . The enclosure of claim 1 , further comprising an indention region extending around the blind hole and opening to the blind hole.

5 . The enclosure of claim 4 , wherein the relief section includes a darkened region on the surface of the relief section, wherein the darkened region extends partially into the indention region.

6 . The enclosure of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a tapered region.

7 . A method for incorporating an indicium within a substrate used for an enclosure of a portable computing device, the method comprising:
forming a blind hole that extends partially through the substrate and having a size and shape in accordance with the indicium, the blind hole formed by removing a first amount of the substrate to a first depth and by removing a second amount of the substrate to form a relief section to a second depth greater than the first depth, wherein a size and shape of the relief section defines an indicium support configured to receive the indicium.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising means for forming a darkened region in the relief section such that the relief section includes an appearance darker than an appearance of the substrate.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising adhesively securing the indicium to the indicium support.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the means for forming the darkened region is selected from a group consisting of burning a surface of the relief section, applying an ink to the surface of the relief section, and applying a paint to the surface of the relief section.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein when the indicium is adhesively secured with the indicium support, the first depth allows the indicium received by the indicium support to be co-planar with respect to an exterior region of the substrate.

12 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising forming an indention region in the blind hole proximate to the relief section.

13 . The method of claim 7 , wherein forming the blind hole comprises cutting the substrate along the indicium support in a circular path from an outer region of the indicium support to a central region of the indicium support.

14 . A housing for carrying an operational component of a portable computing device, the housing comprising:
an exterior region having a surface; and a recessed portion that extends partially through the housing, the recessed portion comprising a terminus surface and a wall extending from the terminus surface and into a cavity defined by the recessed portion, the wall defining a size and shape of a support structure for supporting an object, the wall further comprising an edge that defines a size and shape of a support surface of the support structure such that the support surface is approximately parallel to the surface of the exterior region.

15 . The housing of claim 14 , wherein the object comprises an indicium.

16 . The housing of claim 15 , wherein the wall and the terminus surface define a relief section that assures that a viewable surface of the indicium secured to the support structure at the support surface is generally co-planar with the exterior region.

17 . The housing of claim 116 , wherein when a lateral dimension of the indicium is greater than that of the support structure, the relief section allows a portion of the indicium to overhang the support structure without interference thereby (i) maintaining co-planarity of the indicium with respect to the support surface and (ii) maintaining the viewable surface of the indicium parallel with the exterior region.

18 . The housing of claim 14 , wherein the support surface is formed using an additive manufacturing process by depositing material at the terminus surface or formed by attaching a pre-formed support structure at the terminus surface.

19 . The housing of claim 14 , further comprising a second wall extending from the terminus surface having a corresponding edge that defines a boundary between the exterior region and the recessed portion.

20 . The housing of claim 19 , wherein a contour of the object defines a size and shape of the corresponding edge.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Farahani Houtan R
• Wu Hsinhan
• Corbet Lindsay D
• Kwan Hilbert T
• Spriggs Katherine
• Tan You Fu

Classifications

• G09F7/16 Primary

  Letters, numerals, or other symbols adapted for permanent fixing to a support · CPC title

• G09F23/00

  Advertising on or in specific articles, e.g. ashtrays, letter-boxes (on or in vehicles G09F21/00) · CPC title

• G06F1/1613 Primary

  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

• G06F1/1616

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title