Glass device housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9756739-B2
Application number	US-201514819110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2015
Priority date	Jan 25, 2012
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

An electronic device may have a glass housing structures. The glass housing structures may be used to cover a display and other internal electronic device components. The glass housing structure may have multiple glass pieces that are joined using a glass fusing process. A peripheral glass member may be fused along the edge of a planar glass member to enhance the thickness of the edge. A rounded edge feature may be formed by machining the thickened edge. Raised fused glass features may surround openings in the planar glass member. Multiple planar glass members may be fused together to form a five-sided box in which electronic components may be mounted. Raised support structure ribs may be formed by fusing glass structures to a planar glass member. Opaque masking material and colored glass may be used to create portions of the glass housing structures that hide internal device components from view.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a display; and
a housing in which the display is mounted, wherein the housing includes a glass housing structure having a recess at a central portion of the glass housing structure; wherein:
at least part of the display is provided in the recess;
the recess is configured to receive at least a front surface of the display;
the front surface of the display faces an inner surface of the glass housing structure at the central portion;
the glass housing structure provides an outer facing surface of the housing;
the glass housing structure has a thickness of T 1 at the central portion and a thickness of T 2 at a peripheral portion of the glass housing structure, the thickness of T 1 being less than the thickness of T 2 .

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the central portion is substantially transparent, and wherein the peripheral portion is substantially non-transparent.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral portion comprises non-clear glass.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display is visible through the central portion of the glass housing structure.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral portion has a rounded portion.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral portion has an inner edge with a curved surface.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral portion has an inner edge, the electronic device further comprising an opaque masking material that coats at least some of the inner edge.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the glass housing structure has one or more curved portions.

9. An electronic device, comprising:
a display; and
a glass housing structure defining a recess at a central portion of the glass housing structure; wherein:
at least part of the display is positioned in the recess;
the glass housing structure forms at least part of an exterior surface of a housing;
the glass housing structure has a thickness of T 1 at the central portion and a thickness of T 2 at a peripheral portion of the glass housing structure, the thickness of T 1 being less than the thickness of T 2 ; and
the glass housing structure comprises one or more fused glass rib support structures.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 , wherein:
the glass housing structure has a curved interior surface;
the display comprises a flexible display; and
the flexible display is secured adjacent the curved interior surface.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 9 ,
wherein the housing comprises a base structure to which the glass housing structure is mounted, the electronic device further comprising internal electrical components mounted between the housing and the glass housing structure.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 ,
wherein the base structure comprises a metal structure.

13. An electronic device, comprising:
a display; and
a housing in which the display is mounted, wherein the housing includes at least:
a glass housing structure having a recess at a central portion of the glass housing structure, and
a base structure to which the glass housing structure is secured;

internal electrical components mounted between the housing structure and the glass housing structure,
wherein at least part of the display is provided in the recess,
wherein the glass housing structure provides an outer facing surface of the housing, and
wherein the glass housing structure has a thickness of T 1 at the central portion and a thickness of T 2 at a peripheral portion of the glass housing structure, he thickness of T 1 being less than the thickness of T 2 .

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the display is visible through the central portion of the glass housing structure, and wherein the display comprises touch sensing capabilities that are usable through the central portion of the glass housing structure.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the base structure comprises a metal structure.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the glass housing structure is formed from a base glass layer and a peripheral glass layer.

17. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the peripheral glass layer has an inner edge, the electronic device further comprising an opaque masking material that coats at least some of the inner edge.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 16 wherein the base glass layer and peripheral glass layer have curved portions that form a rounded edge for the housing.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Russell-Clarke Peter N
• Ive Jonathan P
• Pilliod Michael K

Classifications

• B24B7/242

  for plate glass · CPC title

• C03B23/245

  Hollow glass sheets · CPC title

• H04M1/0266

  for a display module assembly · CPC title

• B24B7/241 Primary

  Methods · CPC title

• H05K5/0234

  Feet; Stands; Pedestals, e.g. wheels for moving casing on floor · CPC title