Cover, electronic device, and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

The application relates to the field of electronic equipment, aims to solve the problem that the known electronic equipment cover design freedom is low, and processing efficiency, cost and structural performance are not easy to be considered, and provides a cover, electronic equipment and a manufacturing method thereof. The cover comprises a cover plate and an outer attached layer, and the outer attached layer is attached to one side of the cover plate. The cover plate comprises a main body part and an edge part. The outer peripheral edge of the main body part has a bonding surface. The edge part is connected to the outer peripheral edge of the main body part and is integrated with the main body part at the bonding surface. The application has the beneficial effect that the cover has high design freedom, different parts can be designed according to performance requirements, and efficiency, cost and structural performance are considered.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electronic devices, and more specifically, to covers, electronic devices, cover plates, and methods of manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] Covers for electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets are part of the device casing and are typically used to cover the electronic devices.

[0003] In known technologies, the structure and materials of mobile phone back covers and other cover components are highly integrated, resulting in low design freedom and difficulty in balancing processing efficiency, cost, and structural performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a cover, electronic device, cover plate, and manufacturing method thereof to solve the problem that known electronic device cover designs have low degree of freedom and are not easy to balance processing efficiency, cost, and structural performance.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a cover, which includes a back plate portion and an outer arc portion. The cover includes a cover plate and an outer layer, the outer layer being attached to one side of the cover plate. The cover plate includes a main body portion and an edge portion. The outer peripheral edge of the main body portion has a mating surface. The edge portion is connected to the outer peripheral edge of the main body portion and is integrally formed with the main body portion at the mating surface, the mating surface being located between the outer periphery of the back plate portion and the outer periphery of the outer arc portion.

[0006] In this embodiment, the cover consists of a cover plate and an outer layer. The cover plate is formed by combining a main body and an edge portion, which facilitates the use of different materials and / or different processing methods to form different parts. For example, the main body is made of a material with a certain structural strength and is obtained through rough processing to ensure its structural strength and avoid the time-consuming, labor-intensive, and costly process of fine processing. The edge portion is made of a flexible material with a certain deformation capacity and is formed through processes such as injection molding, which facilitates the shape adaptation between the edge portion and other matching structures (such as the mid-frame of a mobile phone). The outer layer mainly considers the tactile feel of its outer surface.

[0007] Therefore, the cover in this embodiment has a high degree of design freedom, which makes it convenient to design according to the performance requirements of different parts, thereby taking into account efficiency, cost and structural performance, and processing the cover with the required performance in a high-efficiency and low-cost manner.

[0008] Furthermore, the mating surface is located between the back plate and the outer arc portion, so that the edge portion only occupies the outer part of the outer arc portion. On the one hand, this reduces the injection volume of the edge portion during injection molding, and on the other hand, it ensures that the main body portion occupies a sufficiently large area, which is conducive to the full utilization of the structural performance of the main body portion made of high-strength materials.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the mating surfaces are circumferentially closed and serrated.

[0010] In this implementation, a circumferentially closed sawtooth-shaped mating surface is set. On the one hand, the mating area between the main body and the edge part is larger, which improves the mating strength. On the other hand, the circumferentially closed mating surface makes the formed edge part form a circumferentially closed ring, which can reliably fit around the outer periphery of the main body part, thus also improving the mating strength.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the groove depth of the serrated mating surface is 1-3 mm.

[0012] In this implementation method, practice has shown that a tooth groove with a depth of 1-3mm can make the main body and the edge part fit together reliably enough.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the main body is formed by punching away the outer periphery of a cover plate blank, with the mating surface located at the cut formed by punching; the edge portion is fused to the main body at the mating surface by injection molding.

[0014] In this implementation method, the main body is obtained by punching, which is convenient and quick, while the edges are obtained by injection molding. On the one hand, it is easy to form complex edge structures, and on the other hand, the injection-molded edge can be directly fused with the main body by the heat during injection molding, making the operation simple and quick.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the edge portion is made of a second material, which is a flexible material.

[0016] In this implementation, the edge portion is made of flexible material. The edge of the cover plate has a certain deformation capacity when it is combined with other components. On the one hand, it can adapt to a certain degree of shape and size tolerance, and on the other hand, it can easily form a reliable sealing fit when combined with other components.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the second material is PC or glass fiber reinforced PC.

[0018] In this implementation, the edge portion made of PC or glass fiber reinforced PC material has suitable flexibility and is easy to fuse with the main body.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the glass fiber mass percentage in the glass fiber reinforced PC is 10%-30%.

[0020] In this implementation, the percentage of glass fiber reinforced PC exhibits both good dimensional strength and flexibility.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the main body is made of a first material, which is either a fiberglass board or a carbon fiber board.

[0022] In this implementation, the main body is made of fiberglass or carbon fiber, which on the one hand can achieve high structural strength with a thinner thickness, and on the other hand can easily fuse with the edge parts made of plastic materials such as PC or fiberglass reinforced PC.

[0023] In one possible implementation, both the edge portion and the main body portion contain resin components, and the edge portion and the main body portion are fused together by the resin components contained in both.

[0024] In this implementation, the main body and the edge parts are fused together by resin components, eliminating the need for additional adhesive layers or special bonding structures.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the outer layer is bonded to the cover plate by hot melt adhesive.

[0026] In this implementation, the outer layer is bonded to the cover plate with hot melt adhesive, ensuring reliable bonding.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the outer layer is made of plastic or PU.

[0028] In this implementation, the outer layer is made of plastic or PU, which facilitates bonding with the cover plate via hot melt adhesive.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the outer layer covers and adheres to the main body portion and at least part of the edge portion, such that the outer layer spans the interface between the main body portion and the edge portion.

[0030] In this implementation, the outer layer spans and bonds both the main body and the edge, further improving the integrity of the main body and the edge, making them less likely to separate under heat.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the mating surface is perpendicular to the backplate portion.

[0032] In this implementation, the mating surface is perpendicular to the back plate, making it easy to form by punching with a punch perpendicular to the back plate. In addition, the mating surface and the extension direction of the outer arc intersect at an angle, which can increase the area of ​​the mating surface compared to punching along the normal direction.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the edge portion includes an edge matrix extending from the outer peripheral edge of the main body portion and a tail structure extending outward from the outer peripheral edge of the edge matrix along the thickness direction of the edge matrix.

[0034] In this implementation, the tail structure extends outward from the edge substrate, and it is easy to deform along both sides under stress, which is beneficial for the mating and cooperation with other structures.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the outer layer is located inside the tail structure, and there is a gap between the outer layer and the tail structure.

[0036] In this implementation, the gap allows for a certain degree of lateral displacement and deformation of the tail edge structure, improving the adaptability of the cover to other structures.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the cross-section of the gap is fan-shaped or annular, so that the tail structure can be subjected to force and rotated around the connection between the tail structure and the edge substrate to a position close to or in contact with the outer layer.

[0038] In this implementation, the fan-shaped or ring-shaped gaps allow the tail-edge structure to rotate and deform laterally at a certain angle before adhering to the outer layer.

[0039] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a method for manufacturing a cover, used to manufacture the aforementioned cover, the method comprising:

[0040] Forming a cover plate: The outer periphery of a cover plate blank is cut off to form a main body part with a mating surface on the outer periphery edge; an edge part is integrally formed with the outer periphery edge of the main body part by injection molding, and the edge part and the main body part are integrally joined at the mating surface;

[0041] Additional outer layer: The outer layer is attached to the outer side of the cover.

[0042] In this embodiment, the special process of peripheral removal and injection molding of the edge portion facilitates the production of a cover plate with accurate shape and dimensions. Furthermore, since the peripheral removal operation is not used to determine the final outer contour of the cover plate, there are no process requirements such as precise positioning, resulting in high operational efficiency and low difficulty. Subsequently, the edge portion is formed by injection molding, and its shape can be determined by the shape of the injection mold. Compared with the existing CNC machining method, the molding time and process difficulty are greatly reduced.

[0043] Furthermore, the embodiments of this application, through a special process of peripheral removal and injection molding, can easily obtain a cover plate whose constituent material of the injection-molded edge portion differs from that of the main body. Such a cover plate can perform multiple functions depending on the choice of different materials. For example, when the main body is made of a material with a certain structural strength and the edge portion is made of a material with a certain elasticity, the cover plate can achieve high structural performance with a relatively thin thickness. At the same time, the elasticity of the edge portion facilitates the shape adaptation between the cover plate and other matching structures (such as the mid-frame of a mobile phone).

[0044] In one possible implementation, the edge portion uses a second material, which is a flexible material.

[0045] In this implementation, the edge portion is made of flexible material. The edge of the cover plate has a certain deformation capacity when it is combined with other components. On the one hand, it can adapt to a certain degree of shape and size tolerance, and on the other hand, it can easily form a reliable sealing fit when it is combined with other components.

[0046] In one possible implementation, the second material is PC or glass fiber reinforced PC.

[0047] In this implementation, the edge portion made of PC or glass fiber reinforced PC material has suitable flexibility and is easy to fuse with the main body.

[0048] In one possible implementation, the glass fiber mass percentage in the glass fiber reinforced PC is 10%-30%.

[0049] In this implementation, the percentage of glass fiber reinforced PC exhibits both good dimensional strength and flexibility.

[0050] In one possible implementation, the main body is made of a first material, which is either a fiberglass board or a carbon fiber board.

[0051] In this implementation, the main body is made of fiberglass or carbon fiber, which on the one hand can achieve high structural strength with a thinner thickness, and on the other hand can easily fuse with the edge parts made of plastic materials such as PC or fiberglass reinforced PC.

[0052] In one possible implementation, both the edge portion and the main body portion contain resin components, and the edge portion and the main body portion are fused together by the resin components contained in both.

[0053] In this implementation, the main body and the edge parts are fused together by resin components, eliminating the need for additional adhesive layers or special bonding structures.

[0054] In one possible implementation, the outer layer is bonded to the cover plate by hot melt adhesive.

[0055] In this implementation, the outer layer is bonded to the cover plate with hot melt adhesive, ensuring reliable bonding.

[0056] In one possible implementation, the outer layer is made of plastic or PU.

[0057] In this implementation, the outer layer is made of plastic or PU, which facilitates bonding with the cover plate via hot melt adhesive.

[0058] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device, including an electronic device body and the aforementioned cover. The cover is fitted and connected to the electronic device body.

[0059] The electronic device in this embodiment uses the aforementioned cover, which has the advantages of high design freedom and easy adaptation to the main body of the electronic device.

[0060] In one possible implementation, the electronic device is a mobile phone or tablet computer, and the main body of the electronic device includes a mid-frame. A cover is fitted and connected to the mid-frame, and the cover and the mid-frame enclose an accommodating space. The edge portion is made of a flexible material, and the cover is sealed and pressed against the mid-frame with its edge portion to ensure a sealed contact between the cover and the mid-frame.

[0061] In this implementation, the accommodating space formed between the cover and the middle frame can be used to accommodate components such as battery panels. The sealing contact between the edge of the cover and the middle frame can improve the sealing of the accommodating space and ensure the safety of the components inside.

[0062] In one possible implementation, the surface of the middle frame facing the cover plate includes an annular first surface and a second surface located on the outer periphery of the first surface. The cover plate is adhered to the first surface with its surface facing the middle frame via an adhesive layer; and after the adhesive layer is activated, the edge portion is pressed against the second surface and the outer layer.

[0063] In this implementation, the inner and outer sides of the middle frame have a first surface and a second surface, respectively, forming a dual sealing form in which the inner side is sealed by adhesive layer and the outer side is sealed by flexible edge portion and second surface, which greatly improves the sealing performance between the middle frame and the cover plate.

[0064] In one possible implementation, the adhesive backing layer covers the main body portion and the edge portion of the portion, and the outer peripheral edge of the edge portion has a protruding portion that extends out of the adhesive backing layer.

[0065] In this implementation, the outer periphery of the edge portion extends outwards, and the deformation of the extended portion is less affected by the adhesive layer, giving it a greater degree of freedom in deformation. It can easily adapt to the mid-frame during the pressing process, thus reducing the possibility of mechanical contact with the mid-frame affecting the activation of the adhesive.

[0066] In one possible implementation, the surface of the middle frame facing the cover plate is further provided with a recessed annular groove, which is located between the first surface and the second surface. Both the first surface and the second surface are lower on the side near the annular groove and higher on the other side, and the first surface extends to the upper opening of the annular groove on the side near the annular groove.

[0067] In this implementation, the lower side of the first surface extends to the upper opening of the connecting annular groove. Thus, when the adhesive layer is activated and thinned, excess adhesive can be squeezed into the annular groove along the first surface, facilitating the activation of the adhesive layer. Furthermore, the adhesive squeezed into the annular groove can fill the groove and bond to, or even support, the overhanging portion of the edge, further improving the seal between the cover and the middle frame.

[0068] In one possible implementation, the adhesive backing layer extends to the vicinity of the junction between the first surface and the annular groove on the side near the groove.

[0069] In this implementation, when the adhesive backing layer is activated, the extruded adhesive backing is easily squeezed into the annular groove along the inclined first surface.

[0070] In one possible implementation, the second surface includes a beveled segment and a planar segment. The planar segment is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the middle frame, and the beveled segment intersects the thickness direction of the middle frame at an angle. The inner side of the beveled segment extends to intersect with the annular groove, and the planar segment connects to the outer side of the beveled segment. The edge portion includes an edge base extending from the outer peripheral edge of the main body and a tail edge structure extending outward from the outer peripheral edge of the edge base along the thickness direction of the edge base. The tail edge structure is located between the planar segment and the outer layer, and the tail edge structure has a third surface corresponding to the outer layer and a fourth surface corresponding to the planar segment, with the third surface and the outer layer spaced apart to define a gap.

[0071] In this implementation, the tail edge structure is pressed between the planar segment and the outer layer, allowing it to fit well with the middle frame and facilitating a seal between the cover and the middle frame. Furthermore, a gap is provided so that when the cover is assembled towards the middle frame, after the tail edge structure is blocked by the planar segment, it can rotate and deform towards the gap, allowing the entire cover to continue to be pressed down and assembled into place.

[0072] In one possible implementation, before the adhesive backing is activated, the outer peripheral surfaces of the beveled section and the edge substrate are opposite each other, and the angle between the outer peripheral surface of the edge substrate and the thickness direction of the middle frame is greater than the angle between the thickness direction of the beveled section and the middle frame, so that when the adhesive backing is activated, the edge substrate can rotate and deform with the tail edge structure to make the outer peripheral surface of the edge substrate fit the beveled section.

[0073] In this implementation, the inventors discovered that during the pressing down of the cover, the rotational deformation of the tail edge structure causes a certain change in the angle of the outer peripheral surface of the edge substrate. By setting an included angle difference, this change can be better adapted, allowing the outer peripheral surface of the edge substrate and the inclined section to fit well after the cover is assembled.

[0074] In one possible implementation, the angle between the beveled section and the thickness direction of the middle frame is 30-35°, and the angle between the outer peripheral surface of the edge substrate and the thickness direction of the middle frame is 3-8° larger than the angle between the beveled section and the thickness direction of the middle frame.

[0075] This implementation provides optimal values ​​for the included angle and the angle difference, which can effectively achieve the aforementioned effect of making the outer peripheral surface of the edge substrate fit the inclined section.

[0076] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a method for manufacturing an electronic device, used to manufacture the aforementioned electronic device; the method for manufacturing an electronic device includes:

[0077] Apply an adhesive backing layer to the first surface of the middle frame;

[0078] Press the cover piece against the middle frame along the thickness direction until the adhesive layer is activated, so that the surface of the cover piece facing the middle frame is adhered to the first surface of the middle frame through the adhesive layer, and the edge portion is resisted by the second surface and deformed relative to the outer layer until it is pressed between the second surface and the outer layer.

[0079] In the electronic device manufacturing method of this embodiment, the cover is bonded to the first surface by an adhesive backing layer, and its edge portion is pressed between the second surface and the outer layer, so that the middle frame and the cover have a double sealing effect and better sealing performance.

[0080] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a cover plate, which includes a main body portion and an edge portion; the outer peripheral edge of the main body portion has a mating surface; the edge portion is connected to the outer peripheral edge of the main body portion and is integrally formed with the main body portion at the mating surface.

[0081] The edge portion and main body portion of the cover plate provided in this embodiment are joined by a mating surface, which allows for separate design of the two, resulting in a high degree of design freedom for the cover plate.

[0082] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a method for manufacturing a cover plate, comprising:

[0083] The outer periphery of a cover plate blank is cut off to form the main body with a mating surface on the outer periphery;

[0084] The edge portion is integrally formed by injection molding and attached to the outer periphery of the main body. The edge portion and the main body are integrally joined at the joint surface.

[0085] In this embodiment, the special process of peripheral removal and injection molding of the edge portion facilitates the production of a cover plate with accurate shape and dimensions. Furthermore, since the peripheral removal operation is not used to determine the final outer contour of the cover plate, there are no process requirements such as precise positioning, resulting in high operational efficiency and low difficulty. Subsequently, the edge portion is formed by injection molding, and its shape can be determined by the shape of the injection mold. Compared with the existing CNC machining method, the molding time and process difficulty are greatly reduced.

[0086] Furthermore, the embodiments of this application, through a special process of peripheral removal and injection molding, can easily obtain a cover plate whose constituent material of the injection-molded edge portion differs from that of the main body. Such a cover plate can perform multiple functions depending on the choice of different materials. For example, when the main body is made of a material with a certain structural strength and the edge portion is made of a material with a certain elasticity, the cover plate can achieve high structural performance with a relatively thin thickness. At the same time, the elasticity of the edge portion facilitates the shape adaptation between the cover plate and other matching structures (such as the mid-frame of a mobile phone). Attached Figure Description

[0087] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings in the embodiments will be briefly described below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0088] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0089] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A plan view of the electronic equipment;

[0090] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Sectional view along line AA;

[0091] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of point B (adhesive layer is in an activated state).

[0092] Figure 5 for Figure 1 An expanded view of a portion of the structure of an electronic device in the image;

[0093] Figure 6 This is an unfolded view of the cover in one embodiment of this application;

[0094] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional sectional view of a portion of the cover plate in one embodiment of this application;

[0095] Figure 8 This is a view showing the mating relationship between the middle frame and the cover in one embodiment of this application (the adhesive layer is in an inactive state).

[0096] Figure 9 for Figure 8 Expanded view (some lines are hidden and not shown);

[0097] Figure 10 This is a plan view of the cover plate blank in one embodiment of this application;

[0098] Figure 11 for Figure 10 Partial cross-sectional view;

[0099] Figure 12 for Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the main body obtained by cutting off the outer periphery of the cover plate blank;

[0100] Figure 13 for Figure 12 A schematic diagram showing the injection molding of the main body to form the edge portion.

[0101] Main component designation: 10-Electronic device; 11-Electronic device body; 12-Middle frame; 13-Screen; 14-Battery panel; 15-Adhesive layer; 20-Cover; 21-Cover plate; 22-External layer; 23-Main body; 24-Edge part; 25-Back plate part; 26-Outer arc part; 27-Edge substrate; 28-Tail edge structure; 29-Protruding part; 50-Cover plate blank; 51-Surplus material; C1- Circular groove; f1 - gap; K1 - through hole; P1 - first surface; P2 - second surface; P3 - third surface; P4 - fourth surface; P5 - mating surface; P6 - inclined section; P7 - planar section; P8 - outer peripheral surface of edge substrate; P9 - outer peripheral surface of outer layer; Q1 - accommodating space; S1 - notch; T1 - main gating channel; T2 - support gating channel; Y1 - thickness direction of edge substrate; Y2 - thickness direction of middle frame. Detailed Implementation

[0102] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0103] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "fixed to" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intervening component. When a component is said to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component. When a component is said to be "set on" another component, it can be directly set on the other component or there may be an intervening component. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this document are for illustrative purposes only.

[0104] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terminology used herein in the specification of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "or / and" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0105] Some embodiments of this application are described in detail. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0106] Example

[0107] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 This embodiment provides an electronic device 10, such as a mobile phone. The electronic device 10 includes an electronic device body 11 and a cover 20, which covers one side of the electronic device body 11. The cover 20 shown in the figure has a through hole K1, which can be used to expose the rear camera (not shown) of the electronic device 10.

[0108] See also Figure 3 and Figure 4 In this embodiment, the main body 11 of the electronic device includes a middle frame 12, a screen 13, etc. The screen 13 is connected to one side of the middle frame 12, and the cover 20 is connected to the other side of the middle frame 12 and forms an accommodating space Q1 with the middle frame 12 for accommodating the battery panel 14.

[0109] See also Figure 4 and Figure 5 The cover 20 is bonded to the middle frame 12 via an adhesive backing layer 15. The adhesive backing layer 15 provides a certain degree of sealing between the cover 20 and the middle frame 12. However, due to limitations in the manufacturing precision, structural rigidity, and assembly precision of the middle frame 12 and the cover 20, relying solely on the adhesive backing layer 15 to achieve a seal is insufficient to guarantee a tight seal, and is not suitable for situations requiring high sealing performance. In known technologies, this problem is partially alleviated by setting very high CNC machining precision for the cover. However, this approach suffers from limited effectiveness, low efficiency, and high cost, and is also difficult to apply to cover components that are thin or made of soft materials.

[0110] See also Figure 6 and Figure 3In this embodiment, the cover 20 includes a cover plate 21 and an outer layer 22. The outer layer 22 is attached to the outer side of the cover plate 21 (the outer side of the cover plate 21 refers to the surface of the cover plate 21 away from the middle frame 12), for example, by means of hot melt adhesive bonding, or by means of snap-fit ​​or other connection methods. Optionally, the outer layer 22 is made of plastic or PU (polyurethane). PU as the outer layer 22 has a better surface feel and is suitable for contact with the human body.

[0111] In other embodiments, the outer layer 22 may be omitted, or the outer layer 22 and the cover plate 21 may be integrally formed.

[0112] See also Figure 6 and Figure 7 In this embodiment, the cover plate 21 includes a main body portion 23 and an edge portion 24. The outer peripheral edge of the main body portion 23 has a mating surface P5. The edge portion 24 is connected to the outer peripheral edge of the main body portion 23 and is integrally formed with the main body portion 23 at the mating surface P5.

[0113] In this embodiment, the shape of the mating surface P5 can be as follows: Figure 6 and Figure 7 The circumferentially closed serrated joint surface P5 shown in the diagram provides a larger bonding area between the main body portion 23 and the edge portion 24, increasing the bonding strength. Furthermore, the circumferentially closed joint surface P5 ensures that the formed edge portion 24 forms a circumferentially closed ring, allowing it to reliably fit around the main body portion 23, further enhancing the bonding strength. Optionally, the groove depth of the serrated joint surface P5 is 1-3 mm. Practice has shown that a groove depth of 1-3 mm ensures a sufficiently reliable bonding between the main body portion 23 and the edge portion 24.

[0114] In some embodiments, the main body 23 is made of a first material, such as a fiberglass board or a carbon fiber board. The edge portion 24 is made of a second material, such as a flexible material, like PC (polycarbonate) or fiberglass-reinforced PC. The fiberglass board or carbon fiber board can be made by hot-pressing multiple layers of glass fiber or carbon fiber thin layers with resin to form a board with a suitable thickness. It has high structural strength, thus providing reliable structural performance with a thinner thickness, which is beneficial for reducing the thickness of the main body 23. The edge portion 24 is made of a flexible material, so that the edge of the cover plate 21 has a certain deformation capacity when it is fitted with other components. On the one hand, it can adapt to a certain degree of shape and dimensional tolerances, and on the other hand, it can easily form a reliable seal when fitted with other components. When PC or fiberglass-reinforced PC is used, the resin component therein can easily fuse with the resin component in the fiberglass board or carbon fiber board of the main body 23, which is beneficial for the integration of the main body 23 and the edge portion 24. Optionally, the glass fiber mass percentage in the glass fiber reinforced PC is 10%-30%. This percentage of glass fiber reinforced PC has both good dimensional strength and flexibility, so that the edge portion 24 has both a certain structural stiffness and can adapt to deformation.

[0115] When both the edge portion 24 and the main body portion 23 contain resin components, the edge portion 24 and the main body portion 23 can easily be fused together by the resin components they contain, eliminating the need for additional adhesive layers or special bonding structures. Furthermore, for structures such as those using plastic or PU as the outer layer 22, as described above, the resin components of the edge portion 24 and the main body portion 23 also facilitate fusion or bonding with the outer layer 22.

[0116] See also Figure 4 In some embodiments, the outer layer 22 covers and adheres to the main body portion 23 and at least part of the edge portion 24, such that the outer layer 22 spans the bonding surface P5 of the main body portion 23 and the edge portion 24. This arrangement, where the outer layer 22 spans and adheres to both the main body portion 23 and the edge portion 24 simultaneously, further improves the integrity of the main body portion 23 and the edge portion 24, making them less prone to detachment under heat.

[0117] Some cover pieces 20 have a flat or slightly curved back plate portion 25 in the middle, and an outer arc portion 26 extending outward along the curve. That is, the outer circumference of the cover piece 20 is rounded into an outer arc portion 26, which improves the grip, enhances the appearance, and facilitates integration with the middle frame 12. For cover pieces 20 with this shape, in this embodiment, the mating surface P5 of the cover plate 21 corresponds to the area between the outer periphery of the back plate portion 25 and the outer periphery of the outer arc portion 26; that is, the mating surface P5 is located within the area of ​​the outer arc portion 26. This arrangement ensures that the edge portion 24 of the cover plate 21 only occupies the outer part of the outer arc portion 26, reducing the injection volume of the injection-molded edge portion 24 while ensuring that the main body portion 23 occupies a sufficiently large area, allowing the structural performance of the main body portion 23, made of high-strength materials, to be fully utilized. Optionally, the mating surface P5 is perpendicular to the back plate portion 25, which makes it easy to form by punching with a punch perpendicular to the back plate portion 25; in addition, the mating surface P5 and the extension direction of the outer arc portion 26 intersect at an angle, which can increase the area of ​​the mating surface P5 compared to punching along the normal direction, thereby increasing the bonding strength between the edge portion 24 and the main body portion 23.

[0118] See you again Figure 6 and Figure 7 In some embodiments, the edge portion 24 includes an edge base 27 extending from the outer peripheral edge of the main body portion 23 and a tail edge structure 28 extending outward from the outer peripheral edge of the edge base 27 along the thickness direction Y1 of the edge base. In this embodiment, the tail edge structure extends outward from the edge base 27 (i.e., outward along the basic thickness direction of the edge), and it is easily deformed laterally under stress, which is beneficial for the mating fit with other structures.

[0119] In one implementation, see reference. Figure 8 The outer layer 22 is located inside the tail edge structure 28, and a gap f1 exists between the outer layer 22 and the tail edge structure 28. In this embodiment, the gap f1 allows for a certain degree of lateral displacement and deformation of the tail edge structure, improving the adaptability of the cover 20 when it mates with other structures. Figure 8 As shown, before the cover 20 is assembled with the middle frame 12, there is a gap f1 between its outer layer 22 and the tail edge structure. Thus, when the cover 20 presses against the middle frame 12, the tail edge structure is initially blocked by the middle frame 12. However, as the cover 20 continues to press against the middle frame 12, the tail edge structure can deform to rotate relative to the middle frame 12 at a certain angle, until it approaches or adheres to the outer layer 22 (see...). Figure 4 Of course, in some other implementations, the gap f1 may not disappear but rather decrease after the fit is complete.

[0120] Optionally, the cross-section of the gap f1 is fan-shaped or annular (fan-shaped refers to a circle divided by two radii, and annular refers to a ring divided by two radii), so that the tail edge structure 28 can be subjected to force and rotate around the connection between the tail edge structure 28 and the edge substrate 27 to a position close to or in contact with the outer layer 22. This shape of the gap f1 is more adaptable to the state after the tail edge structure 28 has undergone lateral rotational deformation.

[0121] As described above, in the electronic device 10 of this embodiment, the cover 20 is bonded to the middle frame 12 by an adhesive backing layer 15. The adhesive backing layer 15 provides a certain degree of sealing between the cover 20 and the middle frame 12. However, due to limitations in the manufacturing precision, structural rigidity, and assembly precision of the middle frame 12 and the cover 20, relying solely on the adhesive backing layer 15 to achieve a seal is insufficient to guarantee sealing performance and may not meet the requirements of some situations with higher sealing requirements. Therefore, this application embodiment, in conjunction with some of the aforementioned designs of the cover 20, provides some feasible implementation methods that can enhance the sealing performance between the cover 20 and the middle frame 12.

[0122] See also Figure 5 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 In some embodiments, the surface of the middle frame 12 facing the cover plate 21 includes an annular first surface P1 and a second surface P2 located on the outer periphery of the first surface P1. The first surface P1 and the second surface P2 are annular because they each extend around the middle frame 12, thus achieving a seal on the inner side of the structure through the sealing fit between the first surface P1 and / or the second surface P2 and the cover 20. The cover 20 is attached to the first surface P1 with its surface facing the middle frame 12 via an adhesive layer 15. The adhesive layer 15 has a certain thickness, which is relatively large before activation (i.e., before the adhesive layer 15 is pressed), and thins under pressure when the components on both sides are pressed together to activate it and bond the components on both sides respectively.

[0123] See also Figure 8 Before the adhesive backing layer 15 is activated, the edge portion 24 and the second surface P2, as well as the outer peripheral surface P9 of the outer layer, are spaced apart. This ensures that the cover 20 can be reliably supported and fitted onto the first surface P1 of the middle frame 12 by the adhesive backing layer 15, and that the adhesion between the cover 20 and the middle frame 12 is not affected by the edge portion 24 being lifted up by the second surface P2. After the adhesive backing layer 15 is activated, the first surface P1 forms a more reliable connection with the cover 20 through the adhesive backing layer 15. See [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 4The edge portion 24 is pressed against the second surface P2 and the outer layer 22. In this embodiment, the inner and outer sides of the middle frame 12 have a first surface P1 and a second surface P2, respectively, forming a double sealing form in which the inner side is sealed by adhesive layer 15 and the outer side is sealed by the flexible edge portion 24 and the second surface P2, which greatly improves the sealing performance between the middle frame 12 and the cover plate 21.

[0124] See Figure 8 In one embodiment, the adhesive layer 15 covers the main body portion 23 and the edge portion 24, and the outer peripheral edge of the edge portion 24 has a protruding portion 29 that extends out of the adhesive layer 15. The deformation of the protruding portion 29 extending out of the outer peripheral edge of the edge portion 24 is less affected by the adhesive layer 15, and it has a large degree of deformation freedom. It can easily adapt to deformation during the pressing of the middle frame 12 to fit the second surface P2 of the middle frame 12, reducing the possibility of mechanical contact with the middle frame 12 affecting the activation of the adhesive.

[0125] See also Figure 8 and Figure 4 The surface of the middle frame 12 facing the cover plate 21 is also provided with a recessed annular groove C1, which is located between the first surface P1 and the second surface P2. Optionally, the annular groove C1 is relatively deep to avoid hitting the lower end of the edge portion 24. Both the first surface P1 and the second surface P2 are lower on one side near the annular groove C1 and higher on the other side, and the first surface P1 extends to the upper opening of the annular groove C1 on the side near the annular groove C1. In this embodiment, the lower side of the first surface P1 extends to the upper opening of the annular groove C1, so that when the adhesive layer 15 is activated and thinned, some of the adhesive can be squeezed into the annular groove C1 along the first surface P1, which is beneficial to the activation of the adhesive layer 15. Moreover, the adhesive squeezed into the annular groove C1 can fill the annular groove C1 and bond or even support the suspended protruding portion 29 of the edge portion 24 at the annular groove C1, further improving the sealing between the cover 20 and the middle frame 12. Optionally, the adhesive layer 15 extends to the vicinity of the junction between the first surface P1 and the annular groove C1 on the side near the annular groove C1, so that when the adhesive layer 15 is activated, the extruded adhesive can be easily squeezed into the annular groove C1 along the inclined first surface P1.

[0126] See also Figure 8 and Figure 9The second surface P2 includes a beveled segment P6 and a flat segment P7. The flat segment P7 is perpendicular to the thickness direction Y2 of the middle frame, and the beveled segment P6 intersects the thickness direction Y2 of the middle frame at an angle. The inner side of the beveled segment P6 extends to intersect with the annular groove C1, and the flat segment P7 connects to the outer side of the beveled segment P6. The edge portion 24 includes an edge base 27 extending from the outer peripheral edge of the main body portion 23 and a tail edge structure 28 extending outward from the outer peripheral edge of the edge base 27 along the thickness direction Y1 of the edge base. The tail edge structure is located between the flat segment P7 and the outer layer 22. The tail edge structure has a third surface P3 corresponding to the outer layer 22 and a fourth surface P4 corresponding to the flat segment P7, and the third surface P3 and the outer layer 22 are spaced apart to define a gap f1. In this embodiment, the tail edge structure 28 of the edge portion 24 is pressed between the flat segment P7 and the outer layer 22, which can fit well with the middle frame 12, facilitating the sealing between the cover 20 and the middle frame 12. Furthermore, a gap f1 is provided so that when the cover plate 21 is assembled towards the middle frame 12, after the trailing edge structure 28 is blocked by the planar segment P7, it can rotate and deform towards the gap f1 side, allowing the cover 20 to continue to be pressed down and assembled into place. Optionally, before the adhesive layer 15 is activated, the beveled segment P6 and the outer peripheral surface P8 of the edge substrate are opposite each other, and the angle α2 between the outer peripheral surface P8 of the edge substrate and the thickness direction Y2 of the middle frame is greater than the angle α1 between the beveled segment P6 and the thickness direction Y2 of the middle frame, so that when the adhesive layer 15 is activated, the edge substrate 27 can rotate and deform with the trailing edge structure 28 until the outer peripheral surface P8 of the edge substrate fits against the beveled segment P6. The inventors discovered that during the pressing down of the cover 20, the rotational deformation of the trailing edge structure 28 causes a certain change in the angle of the outer peripheral surface P8 of the edge substrate. By setting an angle difference, this change can be better adapted, ensuring that the outer peripheral surface P8 of the edge substrate and the inclined section P6 fit well after the cover 20 is assembled. Optionally, the angle between the inclined section P6 and the thickness direction Y2 of the middle frame is 30-35°, and the angle between the outer peripheral surface P8 of the edge substrate and the thickness direction Y2 of the middle frame is 3-8° larger than the angle between the inclined section P6 and the thickness direction Y2 of the middle frame. Setting this angle and angle difference can better achieve the aforementioned effect of making the outer peripheral surface P8 of the edge substrate fit the inclined section P6.

[0127] This application also provides a method for manufacturing an electronic device, used to manufacture the aforementioned electronic device 10; the method for manufacturing an electronic device includes:

[0128] Adhesive backing layer 15 is attached to the first surface P1 of the middle frame 12;

[0129] Press the cover 20 against the middle frame 12 along the thickness direction Y2 of the middle frame until the adhesive layer 15 is activated, so that the surface of the cover 20 facing the middle frame 12 is adhered to the first surface P1 of the middle frame 12 through the adhesive layer 15, and the edge portion 24 is resisted by the second surface P2 and deformed relative to the outer layer 22 until it is pressed between the second surface P2 and the outer layer 22.

[0130] In the electronic device manufacturing method of this embodiment, the cover 20 is bonded to the first surface P1 by the adhesive backing layer 15, and is pressed between the second surface P2 and the outer layer 22 by its edge portion 24, so that the middle frame 12 and the cover 20 have a double sealing effect and better sealing performance.

[0131] The method for manufacturing the aforementioned cover 20 includes the following steps:

[0132] Molded cover plate blank 50: The molded cover plate blank 50 is formed by pressing a first material; the first material can be fiberglass board as described above; see also Figure 10 and Figure 11 The formed cover plate blank 50 includes a middle back plate portion 25, an outer arc portion 26 extending along the outer periphery of the back plate portion 25, and a residual material portion 51 outside the arc portion 26.

[0133] Forming cover plate 21: See Figure 11 The method for manufacturing the cover plate includes cutting off the outer periphery of the cover plate blank 50 along the cut S1 by punching, forming a main body part 23 with a mating surface P5 on the outer periphery edge (see...). Figure 12 The cut S1 can be positioned on the outer arc portion 26, and the cutting direction can be perpendicular to the back plate portion 25; then, by injection molding, an edge portion 24 is integrally formed on the outer peripheral edge of the main body portion 23, and the edge portion 24 and the main body portion 23 are integrally joined at the joint surface P5; see Figure 13 A main casting channel T1 is set vertically along the main body 23, connecting to both ends of the main body. Several branch casting channels T2 branching from the main casting channel T1 connect to both sides of the main body, so that the injection material fills the various places evenly during injection molding, which is beneficial to the uniform material distribution of the edge part 24. In this embodiment, the second material can be the aforementioned glass fiber reinforced PC. The heat of the injection molding of the second material causes the edge part 24 and the main body 23 to fuse together at the joint surface P5, thereby forming a cover plate 21 with good integrity. Of course, after the casting is completed, it is necessary to remove the residual structure at the casting outlet and open various structural holes (such as the aforementioned through hole K1), etc., which will not be described in detail here.

[0134] Additional outer layer 22: After the cover plate 21 is formed, the outer layer 22 is attached to the outer side of the cover 20 by means of hot melt adhesive bonding, etc., to obtain the cover 20.

[0135] In this embodiment, the special process of peripheral removal and injection molding of the edge portion 24 facilitates the obtaining of a cover plate 21 with accurate shape and size. Furthermore, since the peripheral removal operation is not used to determine the final outer contour of the cover plate 21, there are no process requirements such as precise positioning, resulting in high operational efficiency and low difficulty. Then, the edge portion 24 is formed by injection molding, and its shape can be determined by the shape of the injection mold. Compared with the existing CNC machining method, the molding time and process difficulty are greatly reduced.

[0136] Furthermore, through a special process of peripheral removal and injection molding, this embodiment of the application can easily obtain a cover plate 21 whose constituent material of the injection-molded edge portion 24 is different from that of the main body portion 23. Such a cover plate 21 can perform multiple functions depending on the choice of different materials. For example, when the main body portion 23 is made of a material with a certain structural strength and the edge portion 24 is made of a material with a certain elasticity, the cover plate 21 can achieve high structural performance with a thinner thickness. At the same time, the elasticity of the edge portion 24 facilitates the shape adaptation between the cover plate 21 and other cooperating structures (such as the middle frame 12 of a mobile phone).

[0137] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions to the technical solutions of this application should not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this application.

Claims

1. A cover for assembly to an electronic device and for mating with the mid-frame of the electronic device, the cover comprising a back panel portion and an outer arc portion, characterized in that: The cover includes a cover plate and an outer layer, the outer layer being attached to one side of the cover plate; The cover plate includes a main body and an edge portion; The outer peripheral edge of the main body has a mating surface; The edge portion is connected to the outer peripheral edge of the main body portion and is integrated with the main body portion at the joint surface, which is located between the outer periphery of the back plate portion and the outer periphery of the outer arc portion. The edge portion is made of a second material, which is a flexible material, for sealing contact with the mid-frame of the electronic device and pressing it between the main body and the mid-frame; The edge portion includes an edge matrix extending from the outer peripheral edge of the main body portion and a tail edge structure extending outward from the outer peripheral edge of the edge matrix along the thickness direction of the edge matrix; The surface of the middle frame facing the cover plate includes an annular first surface and a second surface located on the outer periphery of the first surface; the second surface includes a beveled section; the outer peripheral surface of the edge substrate and the thickness direction of the middle frame are set at an angle; the beveled section and the thickness direction of the middle frame intersect obliquely and are opposite to the outer peripheral surface of the edge substrate; The cover can be bonded to the first surface of the middle frame with an adhesive layer on the surface facing the middle frame, and the outer peripheral surface of the edge substrate is sealed to the inclined section of the middle frame, and the tail edge structure is pressed between the outer layer and the middle frame.

2. The cover according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mating surface is circumferentially closed with a serrated shape.

3. The cover according to claim 2, characterized in that: The groove depth of the serrated mating surface is 1-3 mm.

4. The cover according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The outer layer covers and adheres to the main body portion and at least a portion of the edge portion, such that the outer layer spans the interface between the main body portion and the edge portion.

5. The cover according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mating surface is perpendicular to the back plate portion.

6. The cover according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer layer is located inside the tail structure, and there is a gap between the outer layer and the tail structure.

7. The cover according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cross-section of the gap is fan-shaped or annular, so that the tail edge structure can be subjected to force and rotated and deformed around the connection between the tail edge structure and the edge substrate to a position close to or in contact with the outer layer.

8. A method for manufacturing a cover, characterized in that, A method for manufacturing a cover according to any one of claims 1-7, comprising: Forming a cover plate: The outer periphery of a cover plate blank is cut off to form a main body part with a mating surface on the outer periphery edge; an edge part is integrally formed with the outer periphery edge of the main body part by injection molding, and the edge part and the main body part are integrally joined at the mating surface; Additional outer layer: The outer layer is attached to the outer surface of the cover.

9. The method for manufacturing a cover according to claim 8, characterized in that: The edge portion is made of a second material, which is a flexible material.

10. The method for manufacturing a cover according to claim 9, characterized in that: The second material is PC or glass fiber reinforced PC.

11. The method for manufacturing a cover according to claim 10, characterized in that: The glass fiber mass percentage in the glass fiber reinforced PC is 10%-30%.

12. The method for manufacturing a cover according to any one of claims 8-11, characterized in that: The main body is made of a first material, which is a fiberglass board or a carbon fiber board.

13. The method for manufacturing a cover according to claim 8, characterized in that: Both the edge portion and the main body portion contain resin components, and the edge portion and the main body portion are fused together by the resin components contained in both.

14. The method for manufacturing a cover according to any one of claims 8-13, characterized in that: The outer layer is bonded to the cover plate with hot melt adhesive.

15. The method for manufacturing a cover according to claim 8, characterized in that: The outer layer is made of plastic or PU.

16. An electronic device, characterized in that, include: The main body of the electronic device; The cover according to any one of claims 1-6; The cover is fitted and connected to the main body of the electronic device; The main body of the electronic device includes a middle frame, and the cover is connected to the middle frame in cooperation; The surface of the middle frame facing the cover plate includes an annular first surface and a second surface located on the outer periphery of the first surface; the second surface includes a beveled section; the outer peripheral surface of the edge substrate and the thickness direction of the middle frame are set at an angle; the beveled section and the thickness direction of the middle frame intersect obliquely and are opposite to the outer peripheral surface of the edge substrate; The cover can be bonded to the first surface of the middle frame with an adhesive layer on the surface facing the middle frame, and the outer peripheral surface of the edge substrate is sealed to the inclined section of the middle frame, and the tail edge structure is pressed between the outer layer and the middle frame.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, characterized in that: The electronic device is a mobile phone or a tablet computer, and the cover and the middle frame form an accommodating space.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17, characterized in that: The adhesive backing layer covers the main body portion and the edge portion of the portion, and the outer peripheral edge of the edge portion has a protruding portion that extends out of the adhesive backing layer.

19. The electronic device according to claim 18, characterized in that: The middle frame is also provided with a recessed annular groove on the side of the cover plate, and the annular groove is located between the first surface and the second surface; Both the first surface and the second surface are lower on one side near the annular groove and higher on the other side, and the first surface extends to the upper opening of the annular groove on the side near the annular groove.

20. The electronic device according to claim 19, characterized in that: The adhesive backing layer extends from the side near the annular groove to the vicinity of the junction between the first surface and the annular groove.

21. The electronic device according to claim 19, characterized in that: The second surface includes a planar segment that is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the middle frame; The inner side of the inclined section extends to intersect with the annular groove, and the planar section connects to the outer side of the inclined section; The edge portion includes an edge matrix extending from the outer peripheral edge of the main body portion and a tail edge structure extending outward from the outer peripheral edge of the edge matrix along the thickness direction of the edge matrix; The trailing edge structure has a third surface corresponding to the outer layer and a fourth surface corresponding to the planar segment, and the third surface and the outer layer are spaced apart to define a gap.

22. The electronic device according to claim 21, characterized in that: Before the adhesive backing layer is activated, the outer peripheral surfaces of the beveled section and the edge substrate are opposite each other, and the angle between the outer peripheral surface of the edge substrate and the thickness direction of the middle frame is greater than the angle between the beveled section and the thickness direction of the middle frame, so that when the adhesive backing layer is activated, the edge substrate can rotate and deform with the tail edge structure to make the outer peripheral surface of the edge substrate fit the beveled section.

23. The electronic device according to claim 22, characterized in that: The angle between the inclined section and the thickness direction of the middle frame is 30-35°, and the angle between the outer peripheral surface of the edge substrate and the thickness direction of the middle frame is 3-8° larger than the angle between the inclined section and the thickness direction of the middle frame.

24. A method for manufacturing an electronic device, characterized in that, For manufacturing the electronic device according to any one of claims 18-23; the method for manufacturing the electronic device includes: The adhesive backing layer is adhered to the first surface of the middle frame; The cover is pressed against the middle frame along the thickness direction of the middle frame until the adhesive layer is activated, so that the surface of the cover facing the middle frame is adhered to the first surface of the middle frame through the adhesive layer, and the edge portion is abutted by the second surface and deformed relative to the outer layer until it is pressed between the second surface and the outer layer.

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