Electronic device and method for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9306268-B2
Application number	US-201414176580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2014
Priority date	Mar 13, 2013
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

An electronic device and a method for manufacturing an outer housing of the electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes an outer housing including a portion including a base including a non-conductive material and a plurality of islands formed on or above the base, wherein the plurality of islands include metallic materials, wherein the plurality of islands are spaced apart from each other, and wherein the plurality of islands form a two-dimensional (2D) pattern. The method includes injection-molding a base and forming a plurality of islands on or above the base, wherein the plurality of islands include metallic materials, and wherein the plurality of islands are spaced apart from each other to form a 2D pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
an outer housing including a portion comprising:
a base comprising a non-conductive material;
a plurality of islands formed on or above the base; and
a coating layer between the base and the plurality of islands,

wherein the plurality of islands comprise a metallic material,
wherein the coating layer comprises a material different from the non-conductive material of the base and the metallic material of the plurality of islands,
wherein the plurality of islands are spaced apart from each other, and
wherein the plurality of islands form a two-dimensional (2D) pattern.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the outer housing comprises a battery cover.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of islands are provided on an entire face or a partial face of the battery cover.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the partial face is adjacent to an antenna module when the plurality of islands are provided on the partial face of the battery cover.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the coating layer comprises a transparent polymeric material or semi-transparent polymeric material between the base and the plurality of islands.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the outer housing further comprises a first layer which is formed on surfaces of the plurality of islands and on a surface of the base exposed between the plurality of islands, and
wherein the first layer comprises a transparent or semi-transparent material.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the outer housing further comprises a second layer formed on the first layer, and
wherein the second layer comprises a transparent material.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the 2D pattern is a repetitive pattern.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the 2D pattern is a random pattern.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of islands have diamond patterns.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of islands have a size, in millimeters (mm) of at least one of 0.4 mm×0.4 mm, 0.3 mm×0.3 mm, and 0.2 mm×0.4 mm, and
wherein the plurality of islands have a distance of at least 0.2 mm between adjacent ones of the plurality of islands.

12. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of islands are formed of at least one of aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), Steel Use Stainless (SUS), nickel (Ni), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), and alloys including at least one of Al, Ti, SUS, Ni, Au, and Pt.

13. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the outer housing is at least one of a front case, a rear case, and a battery cover of the electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of islands are formed to have a shape of an antenna pattern, and
wherein the plurality of islands are connected with an internal circuit component of the electronic device to operate as an antenna.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 ,
wherein the antenna is provided on an outer side of the base, and
wherein the antenna is electrically connected with the internal circuit component through a hole formed in the base.

16. The electronic device of claim 14 ,
wherein the antenna is provided on an inner side of the base, and
wherein the antenna is electrically connected with the internal circuit component.

17. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the base is injection-molded with resin for Laser Direct Structuring (LDS) or the resin for LDS is coated on a portion of the outer housing comprising the plurality of islands of the base.

18. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of islands are provided on an entire face of the outer housing or a partial face of the outer housing.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the partial face is adjacent to an antenna module when the plurality of islands are provided on the partial face of the outer housing.

20. An outer housing of an electronic device, the outer housing comprising:
a base formed of a non-conductive material;
islands formed of a conductive material deposited on the base; and
a coating layer formed of a material different from the non-conductive material of the base and the conductive material of the islands,
wherein the islands are formed discontinuously on the base such that the conductive material and the non-conductive material are positioned alternately, and
wherein the coating layer is formed between the base and the islands.

21. An outer housing of an electronic device, the outer housing comprising:
a surface comprising a non-conductive material and a conductive material forming regular or irregular patterns,
wherein the non-conductive material and the conductive material are both formed discontinuously, and
wherein a layer of material different from the non-conductive material and the conductive material is formed on the surface of the outer housing between the non-conductive material and the conductive material.

22. An electronic device comprising:
a base formed of a non-conductive material in a shape of at least one of a front case, a rear case, and a base cover, the base being injection-molded;
islands comprising pieces formed by depositing a conductive metallic material on a surface of the base and by performing etching or laser processing, the pieces being spaced apart from each other so as to not physically contact each other; and
a coating layer formed between the base and the islands, wherein the coating layer comprises a material different from the non-conductive material of the base and the conductive metallic material of the islands.

23. A method for manufacturing an outer housing of an electronic device, the method comprising:
injection-molding a base;
depositing a coating layer on the base; and
forming a plurality of islands on or above the coating layer deposited on the base,
wherein the plurality of islands comprise a metallic material,
wherein the coating layer comprises a material different from the base and the islands, and
wherein the plurality of islands are spaced apart from each other to form a two-dimensional (2D) pattern.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the forming of the plurality of islands comprises:
forming a deposition layer by depositing a metallic material on or above the base; and
performing post-processing on the deposition layer such that the plurality of islands are spaced apart from each other and form the 2D pattern.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the forming of the plurality of islands further comprises performing post-processing on an edge of the outer housing once more if the edge is curved in order to form the plurality of islands on the edge.

26. The method of claim 23 , further comprising forming a layer comprising a transparent polymeric material or semi-transparent polymeric material after the injection-molding of the base.

27. The method of claim 23 , further comprising, after the forming of the plurality of islands, forming a first layer of a transparent or semi-transparent material on surfaces of the base and a surface of the base exposed between the plurality of islands.

28. The method of claim 27 , further comprising, after the forming of the first layer, forming a second layer comprising

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hwang Chang-Youn
• Kim Hak-Ju
• Moon Hee-Cheul
• Choi Jong-Chul

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01Q13/18

  the slot being backed by, or formed in boundary wall of, a resonant cavity (longitudinally slotted cylinder H01Q13/12 ){; Open cavity antennas} · CPC title

• H01Q1/42

  Housings not intimately mechanically associated with radiating elements, e.g. radome · CPC title

• Y10T29/49155

  Manufacturing circuit on or in base · CPC title

• G06F1/1698

  the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone (details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266) · CPC title