Forming and bonding of glass components for portable electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025115511-A1
Application number	US-202418987346-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 19, 2024
Priority date	Dec 17, 2020
Publication date	Apr 10, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for making glass components for electronic devices are disclosed. The techniques disclosed herein can be used to modify a glass workpiece to form a three-dimensional glass component, such as a glass cover member. The techniques may involve reshaping the glass workpiece, fusing glass layers of the workpiece, or combinations of these. Glass components and electronic devices including these components are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for making a glass component for an electronic device, the method comprising:
installing a glass workpiece to an open frame, the glass workpiece retained in the open frame by a peripheral portion of the glass workpiece and having an exposed first surface and an exposed second surface opposite to the exposed first surface; heating the glass workpiece to a temperature greater than or equal to a softening point and less than or equal to a working point of the glass workpiece; thermoforming a first portion of the glass workpiece between a cavity mold contacting the exposed first surface and a core mold contacting the exposed second surface to produce a molded glass workpiece, each of the cavity mold and the core mold heated to a temperature less than the temperature of the glass workpiece; cooling the molded glass workpiece to a temperature less than a glass transition temperature of the glass workpiece; removing the molded glass workpiece from the open frame; and removing a second portion of the molded glass workpiece to form the glass component, the second portion including at least some of the peripheral portion.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the glass workpiece is a sheet of aluminosilicate glass; and the sheet has a thickness from 300 microns to 2 mm.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the cavity mold defines:
a planar recessed surface; and
a wall surface extending from the planar recessed surface, the wall surface and the planar recessed surface together defining a cavity of the cavity mold;
a first region of the glass workpiece contacts the wall surface during the thermoforming; and a second region of the glass workpiece contacts the planar recessed surface during the thermoforming.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first region of the glass workpiece is at a higher temperature than the second region of the glass workpiece.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the peripheral portion of the glass workpiece is cooled during at least a portion of a process cycle in which the glass workpiece is thermoformed.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the open frame comprises an upper frame component and a lower frame component; and the glass workpiece is clamped between the upper frame component and the lower frame component.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the glass component is a glass cover and defines an external surface of the electronic device.

8 . A method for making a glass component for an electronic device, the method comprising:
placing a workpiece in an open frame, the workpiece comprising an assembly of glass layers; heating at least a portion of the workpiece to a temperature greater than or equal to an annealing point and less than or equal to a softening point of the glass layers of the assembly; fusing the assembly of the glass layers to form the glass component by pressing the workpiece between a first tool-piece and a second tool-piece, each of the first tool-piece and the second tool-piece heated to a temperature less than the temperature of the workpiece; cooling the glass component to a temperature less than or equal to a glass transition temperature of the glass component; and removing the glass component from the open frame.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the glass component comprises a protruding feature; the assembly of the glass layers comprises:
a first glass layer extending substantially across a width and a length of the workpiece; and
a second glass layer placed on the first glass layer and having a width and a length less than the width and the length of the workpiece; and
the second glass layer at least partially defines the protruding feature.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the second glass layer and an underlying portion of the first glass layer are heated to a higher temperature than a surrounding portion of the first glass layer.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:
a peripheral portion of the second glass layer is heated to a higher temperature than a central portion of the second glass layer; and. a surrounding portion of the first glass layer is heated to a lower temperature than the peripheral portion of the second glass layer.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the first tool-piece and the second tool-piece defines a planar region.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the first tool-piece defines a cavity; and the second tool-piece defines a planar region.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first glass layer is reformed during the operation of fusing the assembly of the glass layers to form the glass component.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein each of the first glass layer and the second glass layer has a thickness less than or equal to 1 mm.

16 . An electronic device comprising:
an enclosure comprising:
a rear glass cover member comprising:
a first glass layer defining a base region of an exterior surface of the rear glass cover member; and
a second glass layer fused to the first glass layer and defining at least a portion of a protruding feature, the at least the portion defining a plateau region of the protruding feature; and

a sensor assembly coupled to an interior surface of the rear glass cover member and comprising a sensor.

17 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein:
the first glass layer further defines a first portion of the protruding feature; and the second glass layer defines a second portion of the protruding feature.

18 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein:
the rear glass cover member defines a through-hole extending through the first portion and the second portion of the protruding feature; and the sensor extends into the through-hole.

19 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein a distinct boundary region may be observed between the first glass layer and the second glass layer.

20 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the rear glass cover member is formed of an alkali aluminosilicate glass.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Meschke Andrew J
• Johannessen Thomas
• Counts William A

Classifications

• C03B2215/406

  Products comprising at least two different glasses · CPC title

• C03B2201/32

  doped with aluminium (C03B2201/36 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C03B23/0307

  Press-bending involving applying local or additional heating, cooling or insulating means · CPC title

• C03B23/006

  by fusing, e.g. for flame sealing (C03B9/42, C03B21/06, C03B23/02, C03B23/04, C03B23/18, C03B33/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• C03B23/03

  by press-bending between shaping moulds · CPC title