Methods for applying protective coatings to internal surfaces of fully assembled electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9596794-B2
Application number	US-201414178112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2014
Priority date	Jun 18, 2012
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

Methods for applying protective coatings to electronic devices that have already been assembled, and are in a consumer-ready or aftermarket form, are disclosed. In such a method, an electronic device may be at least partially disassembled to expose at least a portion of an interior of the electronic device. A protective coating is applied to some or all of the exposed surfaces of the electronic devices, including one or more internal surfaces, features or components of the electronic device. Thereafter, the electronic device may be reassembled. During and after reassembly, the protective coating resides internally within the electronic device. Systems for applying protective coatings to interior components of previously assembled electronic devices are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for applying a protective coating to a previously fully assembled electronic device, comprising:
at least partially disassembling an electronic device from a fully assembled arrangement to an at least partially disassembled arrangement to expose one or more internal surfaces, features or components of the electronic device;
after at least partially disassembling, placing a portion of the electronic device in the at least partially disassembled relationship, including the one or more internal surfaces, features or components within a coating chamber;
applying a mask to at least a portion of at least one of the one or more internal surfaces, features or components;
applying a mask to at least a portion of a housing of the electronic device, the housing defining an exterior of the electronic device;
applying a protective coating to at least some of the internal surfaces, features or components of the electronic device in the at least partially disassembled relationship and to the mask while at least the portion of the electronic device in the at least partially disassembled relationship resides within the coating chamber;
after applying the protective coating, removing a periphery of protective coating around the mask and any portion of the protective coating located over the mask; and
reassembling the electronic device to re-place the electronic device in the fully assembled arrangement, the protective coating being located at least partially within an interior of the electronic device in the fully assembled arrangement.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least partially disassembling includes removing a first portion of a housing of the electronic device from a second portion of the housing.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein at least partially disassembling includes removing a selectively detachable portion of the housing from a remainder of the housing.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least partially disassembling includes removing a portion of a housing of the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein reassembling includes closing an opening formed by removing material from an exterior of the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least partially disassembling includes removing one or more components from the electronic device and excluding the one or more components from applying the protective coating.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the protective coating comprises depositing a coating comprising a poly(p-xylylene).

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein placing the portion of the electronic device within the coating chamber comprises placing the portion of the electronic device into a chamber of an apparatus for depositing the poly(p-xylylene).

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: preventing application of the protective coating to one or more portions of the electronic device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein preventing includes restricting application of the protective coating to one or more peripheral or exterior surfaces of the electronic device.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein preventing includes preventing application of the protective coating to electrical connectors of the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein preventing includes: after applying the protective coating, removing a portion of the protective coating from one or more surfaces, features or components of the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the protective coating occurs while the one or more internal surfaces, features or components are carried by a housing of the electronic device.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the protective coating occurs while the one or more internal surfaces, features or components are separated from a housing of the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein reassembling includes at least one of:
reattaching at least two portions of the electronic device that form an exterior of the electronic device;
reestablishing one or more electrical connections between elements or components of the electronic device; and
reinstalling an interior component in a remainder of the electronic device.

16. A method for applying a protective coating to an internal surface, feature or component of an electronic device, comprising:
obtaining an electronic device in a fully assembled arrangement;
exposing an interior portion of the electronic device, comprising removing at least one component from an interior of a housing of the electronic device;
after removing the at least one component from the interior of the housing, applying a mask to at least a portion of the at least one component and applying a mask to at least a portion of a housing of the electronic device, the housing defining an exterior of the electronic device;
applying a protective coating to one or more surfaces of the at least one component that were previously confined within the interior of the housing of the electronic device and to the mask; and
cutting a periphery of the mask and a portion of the protective coating over the mask from the at least one component.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising: preventing the protective coating from adhering to an exterior of the electronic device.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein exposing comprises defining an opening through an exterior of the electronic device.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising: minimizing or eliminating exposure of the interior portion of the electronic device to an environment outside of the electronic device.

20. A method for applying a protective coating to an internal surface, feature or component of an electronic device, comprising:
inspecting the electronic device to determine if the electronic device is in working condition and determine which components are to be coated;
exposing an interior portion of the electronic device, comprising at least partially disassembling the electronic device to remove at least one component from an interior of the electronic device;
selectively applying a coating release element to at least one location of the at least one component previously confined within an interior of the electronic device;
selectively applying a mask material to the at least one location of the at least one component previously confined within an interior of the electronic device and to the housing defining an exterior of the electronic device;
introducing the at least one component that has been removed from the interior of the electronic device into a parylene coating chamber;
while the at least one component that has been removed from the interior of the electronic device is within the parylene coating chamber, applying a protective coating to one or more surfaces of the at least one component that were previously confined within an interior of the electronic device and that are exposed beyond the mask material, and to the mask material; and
removing the mask material and a portion of the parylene coating located over the mask material from the at least one component and to the housing defining an exterior of the electronic device, portions of the parylene coating that cover the one or more surfaces of the at least one component that were previously confined within an interior of the electronic device and that were exposed beyond the mask material remaining on the at least one component.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein removing the mask material includes:

Assignees

• Hzo Inc

Inventors

• Stevens Blake
• Sorenson Max
• Clayson Paul S
• Gordon Scott B

Classifications

• Y10T29/5313

  Means to assemble electrical device · CPC title

• H05K2201/0129

  Thermoplastic polymer, e.g. auto-adhesive layer; Shaping of thermoplastic polymer · CPC title

• Y10T29/49716

  Converting · CPC title

• H05K5/02

  Details · CPC title

• H05K3/284 Primary

  for encapsulating mounted components (H05K1/185 takes precedence) · CPC title