Cover for electronic device, antenna assembly, electronic device, and method for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9516150-B2
Application number	US-201414459194-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2014
Priority date	Aug 14, 2013
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A cover for an electronic device may include a metal plate having a first metal region formed of a metal; a through-hole formed in a portion of the first metal region of the metal plate; and an electrical open path extending from the through-hole to an end portion on one side of the first metal region through metal oxidation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cover for an electronic device, the cover comprising:
a plate integrally formed of a first metal region and a second metal region;
an insulating region formed in the plate, and configured to electrically separate the first metal region and the second metal region from each other; and
an antenna radiation part arranged in the second metal region,
wherein the insulating region is formed by demetallizing a portion of the plate.

2. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the metal is formed by at least one among deposition, plating, and painting processes.

3. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the metal comprises at least one from a group consisting of aluminum, magnesium, zinc, titanium, stainless steel, and iron.

4. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxidation process is an anodizing process.

5. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the antenna radiation part is electromagnetically coupled to an internal antenna of the electronic device.

6. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the antenna radiation part is electrically coupled to an electric circuit of the electronic device.

7. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the antenna radiation part comprises an antenna pattern formed by the metal oxidation.

8. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the insulating region comprises:
a concave recess having a concave shape disposed along the boundary between the first metal region and the second metal region; and
a metal oxide layer disposed on a surface of the plate in which the concave recess is disposed and extending from an inner lower surface of the concave recess to the surface of the plate.

9. The cover of claim 1 , wherein the insulating region has a shape penetrating through the plate from the top surface to the bottom surface of the plate.

10. The cover of claim 1 , further comprising a non-metallic cover disposed on the plate to cover the insulating region.

11. An antenna assembly comprising:
a cover for an electronic device of claim 1 ; and
an antenna module disposed inside the cover for an electronic device.

12. The antenna assembly of claim 11 , wherein a portion of the cover is formed of a metal.

13. A method for manufacturing a cover for an electronic device, the method comprising:
preparing a plate having a first metal region formed of a metal; and
forming an insulating region by demetallizing a portion of the plate to create a second metal region electrically separate from the first metal region,
wherein the plate is integrally formed of the first and second metal regions.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising demetallizing a portion of the second metal region to form an antenna radiation part including an antenna pattern formed as a non-oxidized metal region by the demetallized portion.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the metal is formed by at least one of deposition, plating, and painting processes.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the metal comprises at least one from a group consisting of aluminum, magnesium, zinc, titanium, stainless steel, and iron.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the metal oxidation process is an anodizing process.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the forming of an insulating region comprises:
forming a concave recess along the boundary between the first metal region and the second metal region; and
demetallizing the metal from an inner lower surface of the concave recess to the surface side of the plate in which the concave recess is formed through metal oxidation to form a metal oxide layer.

19. An electronic device, comprising the cover of claim 1 , wherein the first metal plate is grounded.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the electronic device is a smartphone, a TV broadcast receiving set-top box, a notebook computer, or a television set.

Assignees

• Samsung Electro Mech

Inventors

• Jeon Dae Seong
• Kim Jong Lae
• Choi Kang Ryong

Classifications

• H01Q1/243

  with built-in antennas · CPC title

• C25D5/022

  using masking means · CPC title

• H01Q9/40

  Element having extended radiating surface · CPC title

• H01Q7/04

  Screened antennas (H01Q7/02, H01Q7/06 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04M1/0202 Primary

  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