Covers for electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023031605-A1
Application number	US-202017788361-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 8, 2020
Priority date	Jan 8, 2020
Publication date	Feb 2, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

This application describes covers for electronic devices, electronic devices, and methods for making the covers. In one example, described herein is a cover for an electronic device comprising: a substrate comprising a metal; a passivation layer or a micro-arc oxidation layer deposited on at least one surface of the substrate; a primer coating layer on the passivation layer or the micro-arc oxidation layer; an optional base coating layer on the primer coating layer; a top coating layer on the optional base coating layer or on the primer coating layer; and a hydrophobic coating layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cover for an electronic device comprising:
a substrate comprising a metal: a passivation layer or a micro-arc oxidation layer deposited on at least one surface of the substrate; a primer coating layer on the passivation layer or the micro-arc oxidation layer; an optional base coating layer on the primer coating layer; a top coating layer on the optional base coating layer or on the primer coating layer; and a hydrophobic coating layer.

2 . The cover of claim 1 , wherein the metal comprises aluminum and aluminum alloys, titanium and titanium alloys, stainless steel, magnesium and magnesium alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys, lithium and lithium alloys, and combinations thereof.

3 . The cover of claim 1 , wherein the top coating layer comprises acrylate epoxy, acrylate urethane, acrylate polyether, acrylate polyester, polyester, polyurethane, and combinations thereof.

4 . The cover of claim 1 , wherein the top coating layer comprises nanosized and/or coarse high refractive index pigments having a Mohs hardness of about ≥5.

5 . The cover of claim 1 , wherein the primer coating layer and the base coating layer can comprise polyurethane, silicone-polyurethane copolymer, polyurethane-polystyrene copolymer, polyurethane based copolymers, polyester, epoxy, epoxy-polyester, and combinations thereof.

6 . The cover of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic coating layer has a thickness of from about 10 nm to about 100 nm.

7 . The cover of claim 1 , wherein the primer coating layer has a thickness of from about 5 μm to about 20 μm.

8 . The cover of claim 1 , wherein the passivation layer has a thickness of from about 1 μm to about 5 μm.

9 . The cover of claim 1 , wherein the micro-arc oxidation layer has a thickness of from about 3 μm to about 15 μm.

10 . The cover of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic coating layer is selected from the group consisting of silanes, fluorinated olefin-based polymers, specialty fluoroacrylates, fluorosilicone acrylates, fluorourethanes, perfluoropolyethers, perfluoropolyoxetanes, fluorotelomers, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidenefluouride, fluorosiloxane, fluoro UV polymers, and combinations thereof.

11 . An electronic device comprising:
an electronic component; and a cover enclosing the electronic component, the cover comprising:
a substrate comprising a metal;
a passivation layer or a micro-arc oxidation layer deposited on at least one surface of the substrate;
a primer coating layer on the passivation layer or the micro-arc oxidation layer;
an optional base coating layer on the primer coating layer;
a top coating layer on the optional base coating layer or on the primer coating layer; and
a hydrophobic coating layer.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the electronic device is a laptop, a desktop computer, a keyboard, a mouse, a smartphone, a tablet, monitor, a television screen, a speaker, a game console, a video player, an audio player, or a combination thereof.

13 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein:
the hydrophobic coating layer is selected from the group consisting of silanes, fluorinated olefin-based polymers, specialty fluoroacrylates, fluorosilicone acrylates, fluorourethanes, perfluoropolyethers, perfluoropolyoxetanes, fluorotelomers, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinylidenefluouride, fluorosiloxane, fluoro UV polymers, and combinations thereof; and the hydrophobic coating layer has a thickness of from about 10 nm to about 100 nm.

14 . A method of making a cover for an electronic device comprising:
applying a passivation layer or forming a micro-arc oxidation layer deposited on at least one surface of a substrate; applying a primer coating layer on the passivation layer or the micro-arc oxidation layer; applying an optional base coating layer on the primer coating layer; applying a top coating layer on the optional base coating layer or on the primer coating layer; and applying a hydrophobic coating layer on the top coating layer.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the substrate comprises at least one metal, wherein the metal comprises aluminum and aluminum alloys, titanium and titanium alloys, stainless steel, magnesium and magnesium alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys, lithium and lithium alloys, and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Wu Kuan-Ting
• Chang Chi Hao
• Lin Chien-Ting

Classifications

• C25D11/243

  using organic dyestuffs · CPC title

• C25D11/30 Primary

  of magnesium or alloys based thereon · CPC title

• H04M1/0202

  Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets (constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03) · CPC title

• C25D11/026 Primary

  Anodisation with spark discharge · CPC title

• C23C22/07

  containing phosphates · CPC title