Electronic device with molded display mounting structure

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to electronic devices with molded display mounting structures. An electronic device can have a display mounted in a housing. The display can have a display panel with an array of pixels on a flexible substrate. A display cover layer can overlap the display panel. The flexible substrate can have a protruding portion that forms a tail. The tail can be coupled to a printed circuit on which display driver integrated circuits and / or other circuitry are mounted. When the display is mounted in the housing, the tail can bend back on itself to form a bend. The bend can be embedded in a molded polymer member. The molded polymer member can be attached to the housing with an adhesive and can directly contact an inner surface of the display cover layer.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application number 202110702964.0, application date June 24, 2021, and invention title "Electronic device with molded display mounting structure".

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 340,893, filed June 7, 2021; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 109,128, filed November 3, 2020; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 044,306, filed June 25, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates in general to electronic devices, and more specifically to electronic devices having a display. Background Technology

[0004] Electronic devices may have a display. The display has an array of pixels for displaying images to the user. To protect the sensitive display structure from damage, the display may have a display overlay. Flexible display substrates sometimes have a tail portion that bends back towards themselves. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The electronic device may have a display mounted in a housing. The device may be, for example, a wristwatch with a wristband coupled to the housing.

[0006] The display may have a display panel with a pixel array on a flexible substrate. A display overlay may overlap the display panel. During operation, a user can view an image on the display panel through the display overlay.

[0007] The flexible substrate may have a lateral protrusion forming a tail. The tail may be coupled to a printed circuit on which a display driver integrated circuit and / or other circuitry is mounted. When the display is mounted in a housing, the tail may bend back towards itself to form a bend.

[0008] Electronic devices may have molded polymer components for securing the display to a housing. Curved portions in the tail and / or other display structures may be embedded in the molded polymer component. The molded polymer component may be attached to the housing using adhesives or other attachment structures and may directly contact the inner surface of the display overlay. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a top view of an exemplary electronic device with a display according to an embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2A cross-sectional side view of a portion of an exemplary electronic device having a display with a curved tail portion according to an embodiment.

[0011] Figure 3 A top view of an exemplary mold for forming a portion of an encapsulated display, according to an embodiment.

[0012] Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional side view of the illustrative display edge portion and the associated mold structure according to the implementation scheme.

[0013] Figure 7 This is a rear view of the internal portion of an exemplary electronic device according to an implementation scheme.

[0014] Figure 8 and Figure 9 It is a cross-sectional side view of the illustrative display edge portion and the associated mold structure according to the implementation scheme.

[0015] Figure 10 , Figure 11 , Figure 12 , Figure 13 , Figure 14 , Figure 15 and Figure 16 It is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary display having a covered curved display structure and other display structures according to the implementation scheme.

[0016] Figure 17 This is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary curved surface display with a molded stepped planarized layer according to the implementation scheme.

[0017] Figure 18 and Figure 19 It is a cross-sectional side view of a display covered by a transparent molded polymer component and a display overlay, according to the implementation scheme.

[0018] Figure 20 A cross-sectional side view of a portion of an exemplary electronic device with a display according to an embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Electronic devices may have displays. The display may be a flexible display protected by a transparent display overlay, such as a light-emitting diode (LED) display. A flexible LED display may have an array of thin-film organic light-emitting diode (OLED) pixels on a polyimide substrate or other flexible substrate, or it may have pixels formed from crystalline semiconductor LED dies mounted on a flexible substrate.

[0020] Flexible displays may have a flexible tail. When mounted in an electronic device housing, the tail can bend back towards itself. To help protect the bent tail and other display structures and to facilitate the mounting of the flexible display substrate and display cover to the electronic device housing, a molded polymer structure may be formed in a ring extending along the peripheral edge of the display. The molded polymer structure (sometimes referred to as a display mounting member) may completely or partially enclose the bent tail portion for protection and may form a mounting surface that serves as a reference to help align the display substrate and display cover relative to the housing. The display mounting member may serve as a ring-shaped frame or other structural component that helps secure the display structure to the housing. In some configurations, an adhesive layer may be used to attach the mounting surface of the display mounting member to mating surfaces within the housing.

[0021] Figure 1 The image shows a top view of an exemplary electronic device of a type that can be fitted with molded polymer display mounting components. Figure 1 Device 10 may be a portable device such as a wristwatch with a wristband such as wristband 16, a portable device without a wristband such as a cellular phone or tablet, or other suitable electronic equipment (e.g., a desktop computer, a voice-controlled speaker with a display panel, a television or other non-portable display, a head-mounted device, an embedded system such as a system built into a vehicle or home, electronic device accessories and / or other electronic devices). This document may sometimes describe device 10 as an exemplary configuration of a wristwatch as an example.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, device 10 includes a housing such as housing 12. Housing 12 may be formed of polymers, metals, glass, crystalline materials (such as sapphire), ceramics, fabrics, fibers, fiber composites, natural materials (such as wood and cotton), other materials, and / or combinations of such materials. Housing 12 may be configured to form housing walls. Housing walls may enclose one or more internal areas where internal device components 18 are mounted, and may separate the internal areas of device 10 from the external environment surrounding device 10. In some configurations, openings for data ports, power ports, to accommodate audio components, or to accommodate other devices may be formed in housing 12. Transparent housing areas may be used to form windows for optical components. Figure 1 In the exemplary arrangement, a transparent housing layer may cover the upper surface of device 10 and may also serve as a protective display cover for display 14. If desired, a dielectric housing structure may be used to form the radiation-transparent areas of antennas and wireless power components.

[0023] The electronic components 18 within device 10 may include integrated circuits, discrete components, light-emitting components, sensors, and / or other circuitry, and may be interconnected using signal paths in one or more printed circuits if desired. Electronic components 18 may include control circuitry. This control circuitry may include storage and processing circuitry to support the operation of device 10. This storage and processing circuitry may include storage devices such as hard disk drive storage devices, non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory configured to form a solid-state drive or other electrically programmable read-only memory), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic random access memory), and so on. The processing circuitry within the control circuitry can be used to control the operation of device 10. For example, the processing circuitry may use sensors and other input-output circuitry to acquire inputs and provide outputs and / or transmit signals to external devices. The processing circuitry may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processors, power management units, audio chips, application-specific integrated circuits, etc. The control circuitry may include wired and / or wireless communication circuitry (e.g., antennas and associated radio frequency transceiver circuitry, such as cellular telephone communication circuitry, wireless local area network communication circuitry, etc.). The communication circuitry of the control circuitry may allow device 10 to communicate with other electronic devices. For example, the control circuitry (e.g., the communication circuitry within the control circuitry) can be used to allow wired and / or wireless control commands and other communications to be transmitted between devices such as cellular phones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers, head-mounted devices, handheld controllers, wristwatches, other wearable devices, keyboards, computer mice, remote controls, speakers, accessory displays, accessory cameras, and / or other electronic devices. The wireless communication circuitry system can, for example, wirelessly transmit control signals and other information to external devices in response to receiving user input or other input from sensors or other devices in component 18.

[0024] The input-output circuitry in component 18 of device 10 can be used to allow data to be supplied to device 10 and to allow data to be supplied from device 10 to external devices. This input-output circuitry may include input devices for acquiring user input and other inputs, and may include output devices for providing visual output, auditory output, or other outputs.

[0025] Output can be provided using light-emitting diodes (e.g., crystal semiconductor light-emitting diodes for status indicators and / or displays, organic light-emitting diodes in displays and other components), lasers and other light-emitting devices, audio output devices (e.g., audio generators and / or speakers), tactile output devices (e.g., vibrators, electromagnetic actuators, piezoelectric actuators and / or other means of providing tactile output to a user) and other output devices.

[0026] The input-output circuitry of device 10 (e.g., the input-output circuitry of component 18) may include sensors. Sensors in device 10 may include force sensors (e.g., strain gauges, capacitive force sensors, resistive force sensors, etc.), audio sensors such as microphones, touch and / or proximity sensors such as capacitive sensors (e.g., two-dimensional capacitive touch sensors integrated into the display, two-dimensional capacitive touch sensors overlapping the display and / or two-dimensional force sensors, and / or touch sensors or force sensors forming buttons, touchpads, or other input devices not associated with the display), and other sensors. Touch sensors for the display or other touch components may be based on arrays of capacitive touch sensor electrodes, acoustic touch sensor structures, resistive touch components, force-based touch sensor structures, light-based touch sensors, or other suitable touch sensor arrangements. If desired, the display may have a force sensor for acquiring force input (e.g., a two-dimensional force sensor may be used to acquire force input on the display).

[0027] If desired, the sensor may include optical sensors such as optical sensors that emit and detect light, optical touch sensors, optical proximity sensors, and / or other touch and / or proximity sensors, monochrome and color ambient light sensors, image sensors, fingerprint sensors, ultrasonic sensors, temperature sensors, sensors for measuring three-dimensional non-contact gestures (“air gestures”), pressure sensors, sensors for detecting position, orientation, and / or motion (e.g., accelerometers, magnetic sensors such as compass sensors, gyroscopes, and / or inertial measurement units containing some or all of these sensors), health sensors, and radio frequency sensors (e.g., acquiring position information, three-dimensional radio frequency images, and / or other information using radar principles or other radio frequency sensing). Sensors such as depth sensors (e.g., structured light sensors and / or depth sensors based on stereo imaging devices), optical sensors such as self-mixing sensors and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors that acquire time-of-flight measurements, humidity sensors, moisture sensors, eye-tracking sensors, three-dimensional sensors (e.g., time-of-flight image sensors, pairs of two-dimensional image sensors that acquire three-dimensional images using binocular vision, arrays of infrared beams or other structured light that emit infrared beams or other structured light using an array of lasers or other light emitters and associated optical components, and three-dimensional structured light sensors that capture images of points generated when the beams illuminate a target object, and / or other three-dimensional image sensors), facial recognition sensors based on three-dimensional image sensors, and / or other sensors.

[0028] In some configurations, component 18 may include mechanical devices for acquiring input (e.g., buttons, joysticks, scroll wheels, keypads with movable keys, keyboards with movable keys, and other devices for acquiring user input). During operation, device 10 may use sensors and / or other input-output devices in component 18 to acquire user input (e.g., buttons may be used to acquire button press input, touch and / or force sensors overlapping the display may be used to acquire user touchscreen input and / or force input, touchpads and / or force sensors may be used to acquire touch and / or force input, microphones may be used to acquire audio input, etc.). The control circuitry of device 10 may then take action based on the acquired information (e.g., transmitting information to an external device via a wired or wireless path, providing output to the user using haptic output devices, visual output devices, audio components, or other input-output devices in housing 12, etc.).

[0029] If desired, electronic device 10 (e.g., component 18) may include a battery or other energy storage device, a connector port for supporting wired communication with auxiliary devices and for receiving wired power, and other circuitry. In some configurations, device 10 may be used as an accessory and / or may include wired and / or wireless accessories (e.g., keyboard, computer mouse, remote control, touchpad, etc.).

[0030] Device 10 may include one or more displays, such as display 14 (e.g., a display including a two-dimensional capacitive touch sensor and / or other touch sensors, or a touch-insensitive display). The display may include, for example, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a liquid crystal display, a display having a pixel array formed of respective light-emitting diodes (e.g., a pixel array having pixels with light-emitting diodes formed from respective crystalline light-emitting diode dies such as micro-light-emitting diode dies), and / or other displays. The display may include rigid display structures and flexible display structures. For example, an OLED display may have a polymer substrate that is flexible enough to be bent. Display 14 may have a rectangular pixel array or a pixel array of another shape for displaying images to a user, and is therefore sometimes referred to as a pixel array. Display 14 and / or portions thereof may also sometimes be referred to as a display panel, display layer, or pixel layer. Each pixel array in device 10 may be mounted under a transparent housing structure (sometimes referred to as a transparent display overlay, protective overlay structure, etc.).

[0031] Display 14 may have a tail portion. The tail of display 14 (e.g., the tail of a flexible display panel substrate on which the pixel array of display 14 is formed) may be used to carry data signals, clock signals and other control signals, power signals and / or other display signals from component 18 (e.g., display driver integrated circuit, etc.) to the pixel array. The tail of display 14 may be formed from a protruding elongated strip of flexible polymer (e.g., polyimide) or other display substrate material (e.g., an integral portion of the pixel array substrate). The tail may be flexible to fit within housing 12. For example, the tail of the display may bend back towards itself (e.g., bend 180°). This helps ensure that any boundary structures surrounding display 14 can be relatively narrow.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, the display 14 may have a display panel, such as a display panel 14P having an array of pixels P forming an effective area AA. During operation of the device 10, an image may be displayed in the effective area AA. The display 14 may have an associated protective overlay, such as a transparent display overlay 20. The display overlay 20 may be formed of one or more layers of glass, a transparent polymer, a crystalline material such as sapphire or other crystalline materials, and / or other transparent structures. The presence of layer 20 helps protect the outer surface of the display panel 14P from scratches.

[0033] The display panel 14P may include a protruding tail portion, such as a tail 14T (e.g., in...). Figure 2 In the example, a flexible tail protrudes to the right from the right edge of the rectangular effective area AA. When the display 14 is mounted in the housing 12, the tail 14T can bend back towards itself, as shown in the example. Figure 2 As shown. This helps to minimize the size of any invalid display borders visible to the user (such as observer 22 viewing display 14 in orientation 24). An optional strain relief layer (sometimes called a strain neutralization layer or neutral stress plane conditioning layer) may be formed on the tail 14T to help minimize stress in the conductive traces (signal paths) on the tail 14T when the tail 14T bends.

[0034] If desired, display 14 may include reinforcing sheets, such as reinforcing sheet 14M (e.g., a polyethylene terephthalate layer), which can be attached to each other via an intermediary layer of adhesive such as adhesive 14A (e.g., a pressure-sensitive adhesive). Component 18 may include a display driver integrated circuit and / or other control circuitry for display 14. These components may be directly mounted on tail 14T and / or one or more additional printed circuits such as printed circuits 26 and 26'. Electrical connections may be established between printed circuit 26', printed circuit 26, and tail 14T using solder, conductive adhesive, solder joints, connectors, and / or other conductive connections. For example, printed circuit 26 may be electrically and mechanically attached to tail 14T using a conductive adhesive such as anisotropic conductive film, which forms an electrical connection between contacts on printed circuit 26 and mating contacts on tail 14T. Optional shield 34 may cover component 18 on printed circuit 26 (e.g., a display driver integrated circuit). Additional printed circuits in device 10, such as exemplary printed circuit 26', may be electrically and / or mechanically attached to printed circuit 26 (e.g., using connectors, anisotropic conductive film connections, solder connections, etc.).

[0035] The display mounting component 30 may be formed from a molding polymer (e.g., a low-injection-pressure coated molding polymer). The material forming component 30 may be epoxy, polyurethane, and / or other polymeric materials. Thermoplastic and / or thermosetting polymers may be used to form component 30. Heat and / or light (e.g., ultraviolet light) may be used to cure the polymer-formed component 30. As an illustrative example, component 30 may be formed from a thermosetting structural adhesive such as a one-component thermosetting epoxy resin. Other polymers may be used if desired. A vacuum may be applied to the interior of the mold to facilitate the extraction of liquid polymer into the desired shape within the mold during the formation of component 30.

[0036] Component 30 may include portions such as an inner portion 30I that are interposed between a folded portion of the tail 14T and some or all of an outer portion 30E surrounding the outward-facing surface of the tail 14T. One or more surfaces of component 30 (such as the lower surface 30D) may serve as reference surfaces (datums) that help establish a desired physical relationship between component 30 and other parts of device 10. For example, surface 30D may be attached to an opposing surface of housing 12 using an adhesive layer such as adhesive layer 32. The shape and position of surface 30D relative to display cover 20, display panel 14P, and other structures in display 14 may help establish the desired position of display 14 relative to housing 12. Surface 30D may be formed by molding and, if desired, by subsequent optional processing operations.

[0037] exist Figure 2In the example, component 30 partially covers the tail 14T. If needed, the size of component 30 can be enlarged (see, for example, enlarged shape 30') to completely enclose the tail 14T. The upper surface of component 30 (e.g., upper surface 30T) can be directly molded to the underside of the exposed cover layer 20 to help form an environmental seal.

[0038] Figure 3 This is an illustration of an exemplary mold that can be used to form component 30. Mold 44 may include a mold base 35. Mold base 35 may be formed of metal or other materials. Mold 44 may have an elastomeric mold ring (e.g., a silicone ring), such as ring 36, mounted to base 35. Ring 36 may have a portion defining a recess such as channel 38 (e.g., an upward-facing U-shaped channel). During molding operations, ring 36 may be sealed against the underside of display 14. Uncured liquid polymer can then be dispensed into channel 38 via inlet 40 while a vacuum is applied to channel 38 via outlet 42. After the polymer has cured to form molded component 30, mold 44 can be removed from molded component 30.

[0039] Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional side view of the illustrative display edge portion and the associated mold structure.

[0040] like Figure 4 As shown, on the edge of the display 14 excluding the tail 14T, an elastomer ring 36 can be pressed upward against the underside of the panel 14P and inward (e.g., laterally to the left) on the outer edge of the display cover 20 to form a seal for the channel 38. After forming a sealed channel such as channel 38 by pressing the mold 44 against the display 14 in this way, a polymer can be injected into the channel 38 to form the component 30.

[0041] like Figure 5 As shown, on the edge of the display 14 including the tail 14T, the elastomeric ring 36 can press against structures associated with the display 14, such as printed circuitry 26 (e.g., printed circuitry coupled to the tail 14T). If desired, a configuration in which the elastomeric ring 36 of the mold 44 presses directly against the tail 14T can also be used. Pressing the tail 14T directly against the elastomeric ring 36 of the mold 44 can apply a greater force to the tail 14T than desired. To help reduce the applied force, a temporary UV-curable polymer structure, such as a temporary barrier 46, can be applied between the tail 14T and the opposing portions of the ring 36. Figure 6As shown. As an example, the blocking portion 46, which serves as a temporary part of the mold 44, can be formed by applying liquid UV-curable polymer beads to some or all of the tail portion 14T, followed by UV curing. The polymer can then be injected into the cavity (e.g., channel 38) of the mold 44 and cured. After the injected polymer has cured to form the component 30, the elastomer ring 36 can be removed and the temporary blocking portion 46 can be removed (e.g., the blocking portion 46 can be gently peeled off from the tail portion 14T before or after removing the ring 36).

[0042] Figure 7 This is a view of the interior portion of device 10, seen from the lower side, with the rear housing 12 removed. (See image) Figure 7 As shown, the tail portion 14T may bend back towards itself near the edge of the device 10. The printed circuit 26 may extend from the tail portion 14T toward the center of the device 10. An optional shield 34 covering internal components 18 (e.g., the display driver integrated circuit on the printed circuit 26) may help block electromagnetic interference. The tail portion 14T can be characterized by its width W. For the blocking portion 46 ( Figure 6 The UV-curable polymer can extend over the entire width W or can be formed only on a portion of the width W (e.g., only in the edge portion 50 and not in the central portion 52, which can be sealed by direct contact with a portion of the ring 36, or only in the central portion 52 and not in the edge portion 50, which can be sealed by direct contact with a portion of the ring 36). Using a peelable adhesive such as a barrier 46 can help avoid pressure from the ring 36 and can help accommodate potential changes in the position (e.g., height) of the tail 14T, changes in the display structure position due to changes in the thickness of the display cover 20, and / or changes associated with other display structures. However, forming the barrier 46 only in the edge portion 50 can help avoid shrinkage effects, where the barrier 46 applies stress to the tail portion 14T. From the region having anisotropic conductive film (see, for example...) Figure 2 Layer 28) and barrier 46 help prevent stress on the membrane. In an arrangement where member 30 covers the tail 14T and adjacent structures, stress (e.g., from a drop event, etc.) can spread and thus dissipate without damaging the equipment 10.

[0043] exist Figure 7 In the example, the underside of the printed circuit 26' is exposed. If necessary, the mold 44 can be configured to seal against the exposed underside surface of the printed circuit 26' (e.g., along path 54 or other suitable path). Figure 8 and Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary display edge portion and associated mold structure in a configuration where ring 36 abuts against printed circuit 26' in this manner. Figure 8In the example, portion 36P of ring 36 presses against the surface of printed circuit 26' to form a channel (channel 38) surrounding a portion of printed circuit 26', printed circuit 26, shield 34, and tail portion 14T. Figure 9 As shown, along the edge of the display 14 excluding the tail portion 14T, a portion 36P of the ring 36 can press against the printed circuit 26' to form a channel (channel 38) covering the edge 26'E of the printed circuit 26 and the peripheral edge of the panel 14P.

[0044] In addition to sealing the mold 44 on one or more portions of the printed circuit 26, printed circuit 26', tail 14T and / or display cover 20, or instead of sealing the mold 44, the mold 44 may be sealed on other structures (e.g., on portions of the connector mounted on the printed circuit 26, printed circuit 26' or tail 14T, on portions of the housing 12, on portions of one or more components 18 and / or on other structures in the device 10).

[0045] Figure 10 , Figure 11 , Figure 12 , Figure 13 , Figure 14 , Figure 15 and Figure 16 This is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary display with a molded structure that covers the curved display structure to help protect the display 14 and other parts of the device 10 from potential damage caused by excessive stress applied during an undesirable drop event. To help protect the display 14, the polymer-molded member 30 may, if desired, have different high and low strain rate moduli of elasticity values. During non-drop events, member 30 may exhibit a relatively low modulus of elasticity to help accommodate movement within the structure of the device 10 (e.g., small movements due to expansion and contraction caused by temperature fluctuations). When a drop event occurs and stress is rapidly applied to member 30, member 30 may exhibit a higher modulus of elasticity (e.g., member 30 will appear more rigid during a drop event than at other times).

[0046] exist Figure 10 In the example, component 30 is provided with filler 60 embedded in polymer adhesive material 30P. Filler 60 may be, for example, a mineral powder such as silica powder, or may be formed from particles of other materials. The concentration of filler particles embedded in component 30 (the concentration of filler 60) may be high enough to help component 30 resist shrinkage without making component 30 overly brittle or reducing adhesion.

[0047] exist Figure 11In the example, filler 30F is formed of fibers to help reinforce member 30 (e.g., carbon fiber, glass fiber, etc.). The fibers may be oriented in the direction of the expected large tensile load during a drop event (e.g., as shown in the image). Figure 11 Alignment (in the vertical direction shown or other suitable direction). The fibers may be bulk fibers placed in the channel 38 prior to the introduction of the polymer binder material 30P, or the component 30 may be formed of a liquid polymer including pre-dispersed fibers.

[0048] like Figure 12 As illustrated in the exemplary configuration, component 30 can be formed from multiple parts with different mechanical properties. For example, component 30 can have an outer ring portion, such as a portion 30-2 surrounding the outer periphery of the inner ring portion 30-1. If desired, portion 30-1 can have a lower modulus of elasticity than portion 30-2. With this type of arrangement, portion 30-1 can avoid applying excessive stress to the tail 14T or other portions of the display panel 14P, while the greater stiffness of portion 30-2 can help portion 30-2 resist damage to component 30 when subjected to excessive forces from an undesirable drop event. Parts 30-1 and 30-2 can be separate structures attached to each other along the mating surfaces of the intercalating adhesive layer, can be attached by welding or fasteners, and / or can be formed in a secondary injection molding process as corresponding first and second injections.

[0049] exist Figure 13 In an exemplary configuration, a portion of member 30 (e.g., embedded portion 30-4) is embedded within another portion of member 30 (e.g., peripheral portion 30-3). Portions 30-3 and 30-4 may have an annular shape surrounding the periphery of display 14, or may have other suitable shapes. Portion 30-3 may have a lower modulus to help reduce stress on display 14, while portion 30-4 may have a higher modulus to help reinforce the outer portion of member 30, thereby preventing damage to the associated portion of member 30 and device 10 when exposed to excessive stress during an undesirable drop event. If desired, portion 30-4 may be formed of metal. If desired, conductive structures such as the metallic structure associated with portion 30-4 may form the antenna structure of device 10 (e.g., an inverted F-shaped antenna resonator or other antenna resonator for one or more antennas in device 10 for processing wireless communications).

[0050] Figure 14The diagram illustrates how member 30 may have a first portion (such as portion 30-5) located within the curved edge of tail 14T and a second portion (such as portion 30-6) facing outwards around the periphery of member 30. Portions 30-5 and 30-6 may have different compositions and physical properties (e.g., the modulus of portion 30-5 may be higher or lower than that of portion 30-6). Portion 30-5 may, for example, be softer than portion 30-6 to help relieve stress on tail 14T, or may be stiffer than portion 30-6 to help rigidly support tail 14T (e.g., to prevent excessive bending of tail 14T during an undesirable drop event, which could stress the metal traces associated with signal paths on tail 14T).

[0051] If desired, one or more portions of component 30 may be optically transparent (e.g., used as a ring waveguide or other light-guiding structure to transmit light from the light-emitting diode around the perimeter of device 10).

[0052] Figure 15 This is a cross-sectional side view of device 10 in an exemplary configuration, in which the outer peripheral edge portion 30CE of member 30 extends outward (laterally, toward) Figure 14 The right side of the member 30 protrudes beyond the outermost lateral peripheral edge of the cover 20 and is captured below the inwardly projecting flange portion 12CE of the housing 12. The portion 12CE and the adjacent portion of the housing 12 form a recess in the housing 12 that receives the outer edge of the member 30, thereby facilitating retention of the member 30 within the housing 12. Adhesives such as adhesive 32 and / or other attachment structures (screws or other fasteners, interlocking joints, welds, etc.) may be used to attach the housing 12 to the member 30 or may be omitted.

[0053] If necessary, one or more surfaces of the housing 12 may form mold surfaces during the molding of the component 30. This type of arrangement is... Figure 16 As shown in [the image]. Figure 16 In the example, component 30 includes a portion 30G that fills the gap G between housing 12 and display cover 20. The outer surface of portion 30G in gap G is exposed to the external environment surrounding device 10 and may be flush with the outer surfaces of display cover 20 and housing 12. The inward and upward surfaces of housing 12 (e.g., housing sidewalls) mate with the surface of ring 36 to serve as mold surfaces for annular channels used in molding component 30. Because component 30 is formed by molding polymer in place against housing 12, no adhesive is required to attach component 30 to housing 12. The polymer used to form component 30 may be injected from the inside or outside of housing 12. If desired, interlocking engagement structures (e.g., inward-facing spherical protrusions on housing 12) may be used to help retain housing 12 to component 30.

[0054] If desired, the molding polymer can be used to facilitate the mounting of the housing structure and electronic components within device 10. For example, the polymer can be molded onto internal device surfaces, such as inward-facing housing wall surfaces, portions of display panel 14, portions of display cover 20, etc. For example, consider… Figure 17 Monitor 14. Figure 17 In the example, display panel 14P has one or more peripheral edges with a curved cross-sectional profile. For example, the edges of display panel 14P on the left and right edges of device 10 may curve downwards beyond the plane of the main portion of display panel 14P. This helps to minimize the visibility of the inactive display bezel in device 10.

[0055] because Figure 17 The curved edge portion of the display panel 14P, the inward-facing surface (e.g., the lower surface) of the display panel 14P has an exposed curved surface. Figure 17 In the example, the curved inner surface region of the display panel 14P is located near the periphery of the display 14. Generally, any suitable portion of the display panel 14P may have a curved cross-sectional profile.

[0056] Mounting printed circuits and other components on curved surfaces, such as the inner surface of a curved portion of display panel 14P, can be challenging. Therefore, molding polymers can be used to form member 30 on the curved inner surface of display panel 14P. Member 30 can be molded against display panel 14P, or it can be formed separately (e.g., in a mold) and attached to display panel 14P using an adhesive layer (as an example).

[0057] like Figure 17 As shown, component 30 may have a curved outer surface having a curved cross-sectional profile that matches the curved cross-sectional profile of display panel 14P (which in turn has a shape that matches the curved inner surface of display cover 20). The shape of component 30 may be configured to form one or more flat or other surfaces that serve as mounting surfaces for internal components and / or otherwise facilitate the assembly of housing structures and circuitry into the interior of device 10.

[0058] For example, component 30 can be used as a planarization structure to transform the curved inner surface of the display panel 14P into one or more flat surfaces (e.g., flat vertical surfaces, flat horizontal surfaces, etc.). Figure 17In this arrangement, component 30 serves as a planarization layer for display panel 14P and has a stepped shape (e.g., component 30 forms a stepped planarization layer having steps with horizontally extending flat stepped surfaces 60 and corresponding vertically extending flat surfaces between successive stepped surfaces 60). Any suitable number of flat stepped surfaces, such as surfaces 60 on component 30 (e.g., a single surface 60, two surfaces 60, three or more surfaces 60, etc.), can be present. The stepped shape used for the configuration of component 30 helps ensure that component 30 does not consume excessive internal volume in device 10 (e.g., the internal device volume consumed by component 30 can be kept relatively small by forming steps in component 30 that follow the curved contour of display panel 14P). If desired, other planarization structures can be formed by components such as component 30 on the inner surface of display panel 14P.

[0059] The planar structure of the display 14 may be formed as a single annular member extending around the periphery of the display 14 below the curved edge portion of the periphery of the panel 14P, and may be formed by multiple separate polymer members (e.g., a first strip polymer member and a second strip polymer member, the first strip polymer member extending along the left edge of the display 14 and the second strip polymer member extending along the right edge of the display 14), and / or may have other configurations with one or more independent segments.

[0060] like Figure 17 As shown, the flat surface 60 can serve as a support surface for components such as printed circuit 62 and exemplary component 18 within the interior of device 10. Component 18 may include integrated circuits, sensors, control circuits, discrete components, tactile devices, light-emitting devices, batteries, and / or other electronic components. Components (such as component 18, printed circuits, brackets, and other support structures) and / or other structures may be attached to surface 60 by fasteners (e.g., screws and other threaded fasteners), by adhesives, and / or using other attachment structures. For example, printed circuit 62 may be attached to one surface of surface 60 by an adhesive layer, and component 18 may be attached to one surface of surface 60 (with or without printed circuit 62) using fasteners and / or other attachment mechanisms received within threaded openings in surface 60.

[0061] If desired, molding polymers can be used to form optically transparent structures (e.g., lens components) through which images from the display or other light associated with the operation of components in device 10 pass. For example, consider... Figure 18 and Figure 19The arrangement. In these examples, the polymer has been molded into a shape that allows component 30 to be used as a lens component inserted between display panel 14P and display cover layer 30. The polymer can be directly molded onto the inner surface of layer 20 and / or the outer surface of display panel 14P, or one or more surfaces of component 30 can be molded into the desired shape in a mold and then attached to the inner surface of layer 20 and / or the outer surface of display panel 14P using an adhesive.

[0062] Figure 18 and Figure 19 The polymer component 30 may be formed of an optically transparent polymer. The display capping layer 20 may be formed of a polymer, a crystalline material such as sapphire, ceramic, glass, other materials, and / or combinations of these materials. In the exemplary configuration, Figure 18 and Figure 19 The display cover layer 20 is formed of a rigid material such as glass. Other materials may be used for the display cover layer 20 if desired.

[0063] The surface of the display cover layer 20 may include a curved surface with composite curvature (sometimes referred to as a surface with Gaussian curvature) or a curved surface with non-Gaussian curvature (sometimes referred to as a developable surface). If desired, one or more portions of the surface of the display cover layer 20 may be planar. Figure 18 In this example, the display cover 20 has an inner surface and an outer surface with curved cross-sectional profiles. The component 30 has an outer surface with the same shape as the mating inner surface of the display cover 20. In this example, both the outer surface of the component 30 and the opposing inner surface of the display cover 20 have curved cross-sectional profiles (e.g., surface shapes with compound curvature or non-Gaussian curvature).

[0064] Figure 18 In the example, the lower (inward-facing) surface of the polymer component 30 is planar. In this type of example, the display panel 14P may be mostly or completely planar in one or two dimensions (e.g., from top to bottom and / or from left to right). For example, the display panel 14P may have a planar outward-facing surface and an opposing planar inward-facing surface attached to the component 30 via an adhesive layer. Adhesive may also be used to attach the outer surface of the component 30 to the display cover layer 20.

[0065] Used to form Figure 18 The transparent polymer material of polymer component 30 and Figure 18The surface shape of the polymer component 30 (e.g., a flat inner surface and a curved outer surface) allows the polymer component 30 to function as a lens that bends light emitted from the pixels of the display 14P. The shape of the component 30 (e.g., the thickness of the component 30 and the curvature of the outer surface of the component 30) can be configured to laterally expand the image generated by the display panel 14P and / or otherwise adjust the appearance of the image displayed on the display panel 14P. The presence of the component 30 can also help provide structural strength and / or facilitate the junction of a flat panel display structure (e.g., a planar pixel array) with a dome-shaped display overlay or a display overlay with another curved output surface. If desired, the display can be modified... Figure 18 The image on the display panel 14P is digitally pre-distorted to compensate for any optical distortion applied to the image by the lens formed by the polymer component 30.

[0066] exist Figure 18 In the example, the effective area of ​​the display panel 14P (e.g., the portion of the display panel 14P containing pixels for displaying an image) is planar (and optionally, the ineffective area of ​​the display panel 14P that does not contain pixels is planar). Figure 19 In the example, display panel 14P has curved edges. These curved edges may include curved edge portions of the effective area of ​​display panel 14P (and, if necessary, curved edge portions of the ineffective area of ​​display panel 14P). For example, as Figure 19 As shown, the display panel 14P may have a curved cross-sectional profile associated with the curved left and right edges (curved regions 64). In the central region 66, the display panel 14P may have flat inner and outer surfaces, or some or all of the display panel 14 in region 66 may have curved inner and outer surfaces.

[0067] Figure 19 The polymer component 30 may be formed of a transparent polymer, which allows the component 30 to function as a lens element covering the display panel 14P. The portion of the component 30 that overlaps with the curved edge region 64 of the display panel 14P may have a curved inner surface that matches the corresponding curved outer surface of the display panel 14P. In the central region 66, the inner surface of the component 30 may be planar or curved. The thickness of the component 30 in the curved region 64 may be greater than its thickness in the central region 66 (as an example) to help accommodate the downward curvature of the panel 14P in region 64.

[0068] Figure 19The outer surface of component 30 has a curvature that matches the curvature of the mating inner surface of display cover layer 20. Cover layer 20 may be planar, planar with curved edges, dome-shaped, or other shapes with composite curvatures (e.g., planar shapes with peripheral edges of composite curvature, edges with non-Gaussian curvature, and corners with composite curvature, etc.). Because the inner and outer surfaces of component 30 can have different shapes, the inner surface of component 30 can be shaped to adapt to the downward curved edge of display panel 14P in region 64, while the outer surface of component 30 can be configured to match the surface profile of display cover layer 20. This allows display cover layer 20 to have a desired shape (e.g., a shallow curved shape or other curved shapes different from the curved shape of panel 14P in region 64).

[0069] The thickness of component 30 can be at least 0.5 mm, at least 1 mm, at least 2 mm, at least 4 mm, less than 1 cm, less than 5 mm, or other suitable thicknesses. The thickness of display cover layer 20 can be at least 0.2 mm, at least 0.5 mm, at least 1 mm, less than 3 mm, less than 2 mm, etc. The display panel 14P can be a flexible display, such as a flexible organic light-emitting diode display or a display with a light-emitting diode array having crystalline semiconductor dies mounted on a flexible display panel substrate.

[0070] Figure 17 , Figure 18 and Figure 19 The arrangement of the type shown may have a display panel 14P with curved edges, and, if desired, with curved display panel edges embedded in the polymer component, as combined Figures 2 to 16 The aforementioned, and / or may have a display panel without curved edges.

[0071] Device 10 may sometimes be subjected to unexpected drop events or other situations where excessive force is applied to the housing 12. As an example, consider Figure 20 Equipment 10. For example... Figure 20 As shown, the device 10 can be dropped onto one of its edges, which can generate an excessive force F against the housing 12. This excessive force can cause the housing 12 to deform inward, and thus cause the inner surface of the housing 12 to move toward the opposite edge surface of the member 30.

[0072] The molded polymer of component 30 may contain embedded structures, such as display panel 14P and / or other circuitry. Component 30 may be molded to the underside of layer 20 (e.g., in a ring extending along the periphery of layer 20). In some embodiments, an annular opaque material layer (e.g., an ink layer) may be formed around the periphery of the effective area AA of display 14 to help conceal display driver circuitry and other structures along the boundary of the display. This opaque material layer may be formed between the underside of the peripheral portion of layer 20 and the opposite portion of panel 14P. Adhesive layers such as pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 94 may be used to attach housing 12 to component 30.

[0073] Because the inner surface of the housing 12 deforms inward in response to an excessive force F on the housing 12, there is a risk that the inner surface of the housing 12 may come into contact with the member 30. Therefore, even if the housing 12 deforms inward during a drop event, the member 30 and / or the housing 12 can be configured to prevent the transmission of excessive force between the housing 12 and the member 30. By limiting or eliminating contact between the housing 12 and the member 30, damage to the member 30 can be prevented in the event of the device 10 being dropped or otherwise subjected to excessive force. For example, cracks in the member 30 can be prevented, and potential damage to adjacent structures can also be prevented (e.g., crack formation in the annular ink layer between the member 30 and layer 20 can be prevented).

[0074] In an exemplary configuration, member 30 is configured such that the edge of member 30 facing housing 12 is separated from the opposing inner surface of housing 12 by a gap such as gap 92. Gap 92 may be an inflatable gap or may be filled with a viscous fluid (e.g., oil) or a soft elastomer material (e.g., silicone or thermoplastic polyurethane). Gap 92 may be relatively small near the interface between member 30 and layer 20. For example, housing 12 and member 30 may be separated at the upper surface of member 30 by a gap of width G1, where the value of G1 is 50 micrometers, at least 25 micrometers, less than 100 micrometers, etc.

[0075] If the housing 12 contacts the member 30 near the opposite lower surface of the member 30, a lever arm configuration will be formed, which may potentially exacerbate the effect of the housing 12 on the member 30 (leading to possible delamination or cracking). To help prevent contact between the housing 12 and the edge surface of the member 30 at the lower surface (where the edge surface of the member 30 intersects the lower surface), the gap 92 may be selectively widened near the lower surface of the member 30, thereby creating a non-uniform width of the gap 92. The gap 92 may, for example, be enlarged to exhibit a width G2 greater than G1. The value of G2 may be, for example, 150 micrometers, at least 75 micrometers, less than 300 micrometers, or other suitable size.

[0076] like Figure 20As shown, an exemplary arrangement for forming the enlarged gap width G2 involves forming a recess in the edge surface using a chamfer along the lower peripheral edge of member 30 (see, for example, recessed surface 80). In addition to forming this recess in member 30 and / or instead of forming a recess in member 30, housing 12 may be provided with a corresponding recessed portion, such as exemplary recess 88. The presence of recesses such as recess 88 results in an uneven width of gap 92. Gap 92 may also have other configurations if desired. For example, member 30 may have an inclined edge surface, such as an angled surface 82, which forms an angled recess in the edge surface of member 30 and thus forms a gap width of gap 92 that gradually widens with increasing distance from the inner surface of layer 20 (e.g., a tapered gap), may have a top chamfer (see, for example, recess 84), and / or may be recessed along the entire surface of the edge of member 30 (see, for example...). Figure 20 (Example recess 86). Different shapes and / or sizes can be used for recesses in the edge surface of the member 30 (and / or in the opposite housing surface) at different portions of the periphery of the device 10. For example, near the curved tail of the display panel 14P, the member 30 may have a chamfered recessed surface 80. This shape helps prevent contact between the housing and the member 30 during a drop event, while avoiding excessive material removal from the edge of the member 30 laterally adjacent to the panel 14P. In portions of the device 10 located away from the tail of the display panel 14P, the recesses in the member 30 may have a tapered shape, such as a recessed surface 82. The transition between different recess profiles and / or between different portions of the recess profile (e.g., different straight portions of the recess profile) can be smoothed by providing these areas with a non-zero radius of curvature, thereby further helping to prevent stress and crack formation.

[0077] The molding polymer material used for member 30 may have a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the glass or other material used for layer 20. To help prevent shear stress between the top surface of member 30 and the opposing inner surfaces of layer 20 to which member 30 is attached (e.g., during temperature fluctuations), a peripheral annular layer, such as an annular layer 90, may be inserted between member 30 and layer 20. Annular layer 90 may be formed of a material softer than the molding polymer of member 30. For example, layer 90 may be formed of a polymer with a lower elastic modulus than that of member 30 (e.g., layer 90 may be an elastomeric polymer ring). Thus, when member 30 is laterally displaced relative to layer 20 (e.g., due to temperature changes), layer 90 will stretch to accommodate the relative movement between the upper surface of member 30 and the opposing lower surfaces of layer 20. In addition to or instead of forming layer 90 from a material stretched to accommodate the lateral displacement of layer 20 and member 30 relative to each other, layer 90 may be formed from a material (e.g., a polymer) that detaches from member 30 and / or layer 20 under excessive stress (e.g., layer 90 may be used as a sacrificial layer to help hold member 30 to layer 20 until exposed to excessive forces).

[0078] As described above, one aspect of the present invention is the collection and use of information such as sensor information. This disclosure envisions, in some cases, the collection of data including personal information that uniquely identifies or can be used to contact or locate specific individuals. Such personal information data may include demographic data, location-based data, telephone numbers, email addresses, Twitter IDs, home addresses, data or records related to a user's health or fitness level (e.g., vital sign measurements, medication information, exercise information), date of birth, username, password, biometric information, or any other identifying information or personal information.

[0079] This disclosure recognizes that the use of such personal information within the technology disclosed herein can be used to benefit users. For example, the personal information data can be used to deliver targeted content that is of interest to the user. Therefore, the use of such personal information data enables users to have planned control over the content delivered. Furthermore, this disclosure also anticipates other uses of personal information data that are beneficial to users. For example, health and fitness data can be used to provide insights into a user's overall health status or as positive feedback for individuals using technology to pursue health goals.

[0080] This disclosure assumes that entities responsible for collecting, analyzing, disclosing, transmitting, storing, or otherwise using such personal information data will comply with established privacy policies and / or privacy practices. Specifically, such entities should implement and adhere to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for maintaining the privacy and security of personal information data. Such policies should be easily accessible to users and should be updated as data collection and / or use change. Personal information from users should be collected for the entity's lawful and reasonable purposes and not shared or sold outside of these lawful uses. Furthermore, such collection / sharing should be conducted only after obtaining informed consent from users. In addition, such entities should consider taking any necessary steps to protect and safeguard access to such personal information data and ensure that others with access to such personal information data comply with their privacy policies and processes. Additionally, such entities may be subject to third-party evaluations to demonstrate their compliance with widely accepted privacy policies and practices. Furthermore, policies and practices should be adapted to the specific types of personal information data collected and / or accessed, and to applicable laws and standards, including specific considerations regarding jurisdiction. For example, in the United States, the collection or access to certain health data may be governed by federal and / or state laws such as the Health Insurance and Accountability Act (HIPAA), while in other countries health data may be subject to other regulations and policies and should be processed accordingly. Therefore, different privacy practices should be maintained for different types of personal data in each country.

[0081] Regardless of the foregoing, this disclosure also anticipates implementation schemes for users to selectively block the use or access to their personal information data. That is, this disclosure anticipates providing hardware and / or software components to prevent or block access to such personal information data. For example, the technology may be configured to allow users to opt-in or opt-out at any time during or after registering for the service. Alternatively, users may choose not to provide specific types of user data. Furthermore, users may choose to limit the length of time user-specific data is retained. In addition to providing opt-in and opt-out options, this disclosure envisions providing notifications related to access to or use of personal information. For example, users may be informed when downloading an application (“Application”) that their personal information data will be accessed, and then reminded again before the application accesses the personal information data.

[0082] Furthermore, the purpose of this disclosure is to manage and process personal information data to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Once data is no longer needed, this risk can be minimized by limiting data collection and deleting data. Additionally, and where applicable, including in certain health-related applications, data deidentification can be used to protect user privacy. Where appropriate, deidentification can be facilitated by removing specific identifiers (e.g., date of birth, etc.), controlling the amount or characteristics of stored data (e.g., collecting location data at the city level rather than address level), controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data among users), and / or other methods.

[0083] Therefore, while this disclosure broadly covers the use of information, including personal information data, to implement one or more of the various disclosed embodiments, it is also contemplated that various embodiments can be implemented without accessing personal information data. That is, various embodiments of the present invention will not be rendered inoperable due to the absence of all or part of such personal information data.

[0084] According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a display configured to generate an image, the display having a display layer with a curved tail; a housing surrounding an interior region; and a molded polymer member having a surface attached to the housing, at least a portion of the curved tail being embedded in the molded polymer member.

[0085] According to another embodiment, the molded polymer component includes an annular component extending along the peripheral edge of the display.

[0086] According to another embodiment, the molded polymer component has a first annular portion and a second annular portion, the first annular portion having a first elastic modulus and the second annular portion having a second elastic modulus different from the first elastic modulus.

[0087] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes a metal component embedded in a molded polymer component.

[0088] According to another embodiment, the molded polymer component includes a polymer binder and fillers embedded in the polymer binder.

[0089] According to another embodiment, the display layer includes a flexible polymer substrate having a pixel array, a curved tail formed from a portion of the flexible polymer substrate, and the display has a display overlay layer overlapping the pixel array.

[0090] According to another embodiment, the housing surrounds the inner region and separates the inner region from the outer region surrounding the housing, the housing is separated from the display cover by a gap, and a portion of the molded polymer component exposed to the outer region fills the gap.

[0091] According to another embodiment, the display includes a display cover layer having an inward-facing surface, and the molded polymer member has a first surface that contacts the inward-facing surface and an opposing second surface that is attached to the housing.

[0092] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes an adhesive layer configured to attach a second surface to a housing.

[0093] According to another embodiment, the molded polymer member has a first portion between corresponding portions of the curved tail and includes a second portion of an outward-facing surface that contacts the curved tail.

[0094] According to another embodiment, the first part and the second part have different first elastic modulus values ​​and second elastic modulus values.

[0095] According to another embodiment, the housing has a flange portion configured to form at least a portion of a housing recess.

[0096] According to another embodiment, the molded polymer component has a protruding portion received within a recess in the housing, and the flange portion is configured to hold the molded polymer component against the housing.

[0097] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes a printed circuit and a display driver integrated circuit on the printed circuit, with a portion of a molded polymer component contacting the printed circuit.

[0098] According to another embodiment, the bent tail is electrically coupled to the printed circuit, and the molded polymer component contacts the printed circuit.

[0099] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes a wristband coupled to the housing.

[0100] According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided, comprising: a housing having a surface; a display panel having a pixel array on a flexible substrate having a tail that bends back toward itself; a display overlay overlapping the display panel; and an annular molded polymer member, at least a portion of the tail being embedded in the annular molded polymer member, wherein the annular molded polymer member extends around a peripheral edge of the pixel array and has a surface attached to the surface of the housing.

[0101] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes an adhesive layer configured to attach the surface of an annular molded polymer component to the surface of a housing.

[0102] According to another embodiment, the annular polymer member has a portion that laterally protrudes beyond the outward-facing peripheral edge of the display cover.

[0103] According to one embodiment, a wristwatch is provided, comprising: a display having a pixel array on a substrate having a protruding strip portion, the protruding strip portion bending back toward itself to create a curved portion; a display overlay covering the pixel array; a housing having a housing surface; a wristband coupled to the housing; and a molded polymer member in which the curved portion is embedded, the molded polymer member having a first surface contacting the display overlay and a second surface attached to the housing surface.

[0104] According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device including a housing having a surface; a display panel having a pixel array; a display overlay overlapping the display panel; and a transparent molded polymer member located between the display overlay and the display panel.

[0105] According to another embodiment, the display panel has a curved edge region and a surface having a curved shape in the curved edge region, and the transparent molded polymer member has a curved inner surface that matches the curved shape of the display panel in the curved edge region.

[0106] According to another embodiment, the display panel has a curved tail portion embedded in the polymer.

[0107] According to another embodiment, the display panel has an outer surface with a planar portion, and the transparent molded polymer component has a planar inner surface attached to the planar portion.

[0108] According to another embodiment, the display cover has an inner surface with a curved cross-sectional profile, the transparent molded polymer member has a curved outer surface attached to the inner surface of the display cover, and the transparent molded polymer layer has a flat inner surface.

[0109] According to another embodiment, the display cover layer has an inner surface having a curved cross-sectional profile, the transparent molded polymer member has a curved outer surface attached to the inner surface of the display cover layer, and the transparent molded polymer layer has an inner surface having a curved surface attached to a mating curved surface of the display panel.

[0110] According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device including a display layer configured to generate an image, the display layer having a curved tail; a display overlay layer overlapping the display layer; a molded polymer member coupled to an inner surface of the display overlay layer, the curved tail being embedded in the molded polymer member; and a housing having a housing surface separated from the opposing edge surfaces of the molded polymer member by a gap.

[0111] According to another implementation, the gap has a non-uniform width.

[0112] According to another embodiment, the molded polymer component has a first surface facing the display cover and a second surface opposite to the display cover, and the gap has a first width at the first surface and a second width greater than the first width at the second surface.

[0113] According to another embodiment, the edge surface of the molded polymer component has a chamfer adjacent to the second surface.

[0114] According to another implementation, the gap includes an inflation gap.

[0115] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes a material for filling gaps, the material comprising materials selected from the group consisting of liquids and elastomeric polymers.

[0116] According to another embodiment, the edge surface of the molded polymer component has an angled profile that forms a tapered shape for the gap.

[0117] According to another embodiment, the edge surface has a recessed portion that creates an uneven width for the gap.

[0118] According to another embodiment, the outer casing surface has a recessed portion that creates an uneven width for the gap.

[0119] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes a polymer layer located between a portion of a molded polymer layer and a display overlay layer, the polymer layer having an elastic modulus less than that of the molded polymer layer.

[0120] The foregoing description is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made to the described implementation scheme. The described implementation scheme can be implemented independently or in any combination.

Claims

1. An electronic device, the electronic device comprising: A display comprising a display layer with a curved tail, wherein the display layer has a first surface and an opposite second surface; An outer casing that surrounds the inner region; and A molded polymer component coupled to the housing, wherein a portion of the curved tail is embedded in the molded polymer component, the molded polymer component comprising first and second portions, the first portion coupled to a first surface, and the second portion coupled to a second surface. The display has a peripheral edge, and the molded polymer component includes an annular component extending along the peripheral edge.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display includes a display overlay having an inner surface, the molded polymer member having a first surface coupled to the inner surface, and the molded polymer member having a second surface coupled to the housing.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, further comprising: An adhesive layer is coupled between the second surface of the molded polymer component and the housing.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the molded polymer member is between corresponding portions of the curved tail.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the molded polymer component have different elastic modulus values.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the housing has a flange portion that forms part of a housing recess.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the molded polymer component has a protruding portion received within the recess of the housing.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the flange portion retains the molded polymer member against the housing.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: A printed circuit, wherein the curved tail is electrically coupled to the printed circuit, and the molded polymer component contacts the printed circuit; and The display driver integrated circuit is located on the printed circuit.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: A wristband, which is coupled to the housing.

11. An electronic device, the electronic device comprising: The display layer includes a curved tail, wherein the curved tail has a first segment, a second segment, and a curved segment between the first segment and the second segment; A molded polymer component comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein a curved tail is embedded in the molded polymer component, the first portion of the molded polymer component is inserted between a first segment and a second segment of the curved tail, and a curved segment of the curved tail is inserted between the first portion and the second portion of the molded polymer component; and An adhesive between the first and second sections of the curved tail, wherein the adhesive is surrounded by the first portion of the molded polymer component.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, further comprising: The housing has a housing surface that is separated from the molded polymer component by a gap.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the gap is an inflation gap.

14. The electronic device according to claim 12, further comprising: The material that fills the gap, wherein the material includes a liquid or an elastomeric polymer.

15. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the molded polymer component has an angled profile that forms a tapered shape with respect to the gap.

16. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the molded polymer member has a recessed portion having a non-uniform width relative to the gap.

17. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the housing has a recessed portion having a non-uniform width relative to the gap.

18. The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising: Display overlay; and A polymer layer is inserted between a portion of the molded polymer component and the display cover layer, wherein the polymer layer has an elastic modulus smaller than that of the molded polymer component.

19. An electronic device, the electronic device comprising: A display layer, the display layer including a curved tail, wherein the curved tail has opposite first and second surfaces; and A molded polymer component, wherein a portion of the curved tail is embedded in the molded polymer component, the molded polymer component comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being coupled to a first surface and the second portion being coupled to a second surface, the first portion having a first elastic modulus and the second portion having a second elastic modulus different from the first elastic modulus.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, further comprising: A housing having a recess, wherein the molded polymer component extends into the recess.

21. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the housing has a lip extending over a portion of the molded polymer member.

22. An electronic device, the electronic device comprising: The display includes a display layer with a curved tail, wherein the display layer has a first surface and an opposite second surface; and A polymer component, wherein a portion of the curved tail is embedded in the polymer component, and the polymer component is coupled to a first surface and a second surface of the display layer.

23. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the display has a peripheral edge, and the polymer component includes an annular component extending along the peripheral edge.

24. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the display includes a display overlay having an inner surface, and the polymer member is coupled to the inner surface.

25. The electronic device of claim 24, further comprising: shell; and An adhesive layer is coupled between the polymer component and the housing.

26. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein the polymer component comprises a first portion and a second portion, and the first portion of the polymer component is located between corresponding portions of the curved tail.

27. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the polymer component have different elastic modulus values.

28. The electronic device according to claim 22, further comprising: A housing having a flange portion that forms part of a recess in the housing.

29. The electronic device of claim 28, wherein the polymer component has a protruding portion received within the recess of the housing.

30. The electronic device of claim 29, wherein the flange portion retains the polymer component against the housing.

31. The electronic device according to claim 22, further comprising: A printed circuit, wherein the curved tail is electrically coupled to the printed circuit, and the polymer component contacts the printed circuit; and The display driver integrated circuit is located on the printed circuit.

32. The electronic device of claim 22, further comprising: A housing, wherein the display and the polymer component are located within the housing; and A wristband, which is coupled to the housing.

33. An electronic device, the electronic device comprising: The display layer includes a curved tail, wherein the curved tail has a first segment, a second segment, and a third segment between the first segment and the second segment; and A molded polymer component comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein a portion of a curved tail is embedded in the molded polymer component, the first portion of the molded polymer component is inserted between a first segment and a second segment of the curved tail, and a third segment of the curved tail is inserted between the first portion and the second portion of the molded polymer component.

34. The electronic device according to claim 33, further comprising: The housing has a housing surface that is separated from the molded polymer component by a gap.

35. The electronic device according to claim 34, wherein the gap is an inflation gap.

36. The electronic device according to claim 34, further comprising: The material that fills the gap, wherein the material includes a liquid or an elastomeric polymer.

37. The electronic device of claim 34, wherein the molded polymer component has an angled profile that forms a tapered shape with respect to the gap.

38. The electronic device of claim 33, further comprising an adhesive between the first and second sections of the curved tail.

39. The electronic device of claim 38, wherein the adhesive is surrounded by a first portion of the molded polymer component.

40. The electronic device of claim 33, further comprising: Display overlay; and A polymer layer is inserted between a portion of the molded polymer component and the display cover layer, wherein the polymer layer has an elastic modulus smaller than that of the molded polymer component.

41. An electronic device, the electronic device comprising: A display layer, the display layer including a curved tail, wherein the curved tail has opposite first and second surfaces; and A molded polymer component comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is coupled to a first surface and the second portion is coupled to a second surface, the first portion having a first rigidity and the second portion having a second rigidity different from the first rigidity.

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