Electronic device with textured glass and glass ceramic components

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic device with textured glass and glass ceramic components. The electronic device includes a textured component, such as a cover member positioned over one or more components of the electronic device. Different surface areas of the textured component may be textured differently to provide optical contrast. For example, different textured surface areas may differ in gloss, translucency, or both. In some cases, the cover member defines a protruding feature, and a surface region of the protruding feature is textured differently than an adjacent surface region.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application number 202110216307.5, application date February 26, 2021, and invention name “Electronic device with textured glass and glass ceramic components”.

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This patent application is a non-provisional patent application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 073,521, entitled “Electronic Devices with Textured Glass and Glass Ceramic Components,” filed on September 2, 2020, and claims the benefit of that U.S. Provisional Patent Application, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0004] The embodiments generally relate to textured glass and textured glass-ceramic components. More specifically, the embodiments relate to housings including textured components and electronic devices including these housings. Background Art

[0005] Traditional glass covers for electronic devices can present a glossy outward-facing surface. Some glass manufacturing processes, such as down-draw processes and fusion-draw processes, provide a fine surface finish that produces a glossy appearance. The techniques and articles described herein relate to textured glass and textured glass-ceramic parts that include both matte and glossy surface areas. Summary of the invention

[0006] Disclosed herein are textured glass and textured glass-ceramic components for electronic devices. The textured component is typically included in a housing of the electronic device. The textured surface area of ​​the component can be configured to provide a desired look and / or "feel" to the outer surface of the housing. In some cases, the textured surface area provides a matte appearance to the outer surface of the housing.

[0007] In some cases, the textured component is a cover member positioned over one or more components of the electronic device. For example, the cover member may define a feature that protrudes beyond an adjacent region of the outer surface to form a turret. One or more holes may extend through the protruding feature to facilitate positioning of components of the electronic device. The textured component is typically chemically strengthened by ion exchange.

[0008] By way of example, the electronic device may include a camera assembly positioned at least partially below the textured component. The textured component may define one or more holes extending through the thickness of the textured component. One or more camera modules of the camera assembly may extend into corresponding holes in the one or more holes. The portion of the textured component including the hole may be thicker than an adjacent portion, such that the thicker portion of the component defines a raised feature.

[0009] In some cases, the textured component includes different textured areas along the exterior surface of the component. The different textured surface areas can create an optical contrast between different portions of the component. For example, the different textured surface areas can create different gloss levels, different translucency values, or both. In some embodiments, each of the different textured surface areas can have a sufficiently high light transmittance that the color of the interior coating can be perceived through the component.

[0010] The different textured surface regions may also provide different "feel" to different portions of the component. In some embodiments, each of the textured surface regions may be configured to provide the component with an acceptable level of strength and / or ability to clean collected debris.

[0011] In some cases, the housing includes a cover assembly, and the textured component is part of the cover assembly. For example, the cover assembly may also include an inner coating and / or an outer coating applied to the textured component. The inner coating may be a beautifying coating, such as an ink layer. The outer coating may include one or more of an anti-reflective coating, an anti-fouling coating such as an oleophobic coating, and the like.

[0012] The present disclosure provides an electronic device, which includes a display, a housing at least partially surrounding the display, and a camera assembly. The housing includes a front cover assembly and a rear cover assembly, the front cover assembly includes a front member positioned above the display, and the rear cover assembly includes a chemically strengthened rear member. The chemically strengthened rear member defines a base portion, the base portion defines a base surface area and a feature protruding relative to the base surface area. The feature defines a surface area with a texture, the texture having an average pitch of 10 microns to 40 microns and a root mean square slope of 0.1 to 0.75. The camera assembly includes a camera module at least partially positioned in a hole formed through the feature.

[0013] In addition, the present disclosure provides an electronic device, the electronic device includes a housing, the housing includes a cover assembly having a glass member. The glass member defines a first outer surface area, the first outer surface area has a first gloss value greater than 90 gloss units measured at 60 degrees and defines a first texture having a root mean square height of less than 0.5 microns. The glass member also defines a second outer surface area, the second outer surface area has a second gloss value less than 10 gloss units measured at 60 degrees and defines a second texture having a root mean square height of 1 micron to 5 microns and an average pitch of 10 microns to 40 microns. The cover assembly also includes a coating disposed along the inner surface of the glass member and capable of being observed through the first texture and the second texture.

[0014] The present disclosure also provides an electronic device, the electronic device includes a display, a housing at least partially surrounding the display, and a camera assembly. The housing includes a front cover assembly and a rear cover assembly, the front cover assembly includes a front member positioned above the display, and the rear cover assembly includes a rear member having at least one of glass or glass ceramic. The rear member defines a base area of ​​the outer surface of the rear member, the base area defines a first texture with a root mean square height of 1 micron to 5 microns and a root mean square slope of 0.1 to 0.75. The rear member also defines a feature protruding relative to the base area, the feature defines a platform area of ​​the outer surface of the rear member, the platform area has an optical contrast with the base area and defines a second texture with a root mean square height of less than 0.25 microns. The camera assembly includes a camera module at least partially positioned in a hole formed in the feature. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] The present disclosure will be more readily understood through the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like elements.

[0016] Figure 1A A front view of an example electronic device including a textured cover member is shown.

[0017] Figure 1B Shows Figure 1A Rear view of an electronic device.

[0018] Figure 2 A rear view of another electronic device is shown.

[0019] Figure 3 A partial cross-sectional view of an electronic device is shown.

[0020] Figure 4 A partial cross-sectional view of an additional electronic device is shown.

[0021] Figure 5A partial cross-sectional view of a textured cover member of an electronic device is shown.

[0022] Figure 6 Shows Figure 5 Example of a detailed cross-sectional view of a first textured surface region of a cover member.

[0023] Figure 7 Shows Figure 5 Example of a detailed cross-sectional view of a second textured surface region of a cover member.

[0024] Figure 8 A flow chart of an example process for forming a textured cover member is shown.

[0025] Fig. 9 The textured cover member after chemical strengthening is schematically shown.

[0026] Fig.10 A block diagram of a sample electronic device that may incorporate a textured glass component is shown.

[0027] The use of cross-hatching or shading in the drawings is generally provided to clarify boundaries between adjacent elements and also to facilitate legibility of the drawings. Thus, the presence or absence of cross-hatching or shading does not express or indicate any preference or requirement for particular materials, material properties, element proportions, element sizes, commonality of similar illustrated elements, or any other characteristic, property, or attribute of any element shown in the drawings.

[0028] Furthermore, it should be understood that the proportions and sizes (relative or absolute) of the various features and elements (and collections and groupings thereof) and the boundaries, spacings, and positional relationships presented therebetween are provided in the accompanying drawings solely to facilitate understanding of the various embodiments described herein, and therefore may not necessarily be presented or illustrated to scale and are not intended to indicate any preference or requirement for the embodiments illustrated to exclude the embodiments described in conjunction therewith. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Reference will now be made specifically to the representative embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following description is not intended to limit the embodiments to a preferred specific implementation. On the contrary, the embodiments are intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents that may be included in the present disclosure and within the spirit and scope defined by the appended claims.

[0030] The following disclosure relates to an electronic device including a textured component. The textured component is typically included in a housing of the electronic device. The textured surface area of ​​the component can be configured to provide a desired look and / or "feel" to the outer surface of the housing. In some cases, the textured surface area provides a matte appearance to the outer surface of the housing. In addition, the textured surface area can be configured to provide the component with an acceptable level of strength and / or the ability to clean collected debris.

[0031] In some cases, the textured component is included in a cover assembly positioned above one or more components of the electronic device. For example, the textured component may be a cover member positioned above one or more elements of a camera assembly, above a display, above an antenna, above a charging assembly, and / or above any other device component. The cover member may also be referred to herein as a front member, a rear member, or in some cases simply a member. The textured component may define one or more holes extending through the thickness of the textured component to facilitate positioning the one or more components of the electronic device. For example, one or more optical modules of the camera assembly may extend into corresponding holes of the textured component. The textured component is typically chemically strengthened by ion exchange.

[0032] Different surface areas of the textured component can be textured differently to create optical contrast and / or visual contrast. For example, each of the different textured surface areas can reflect light differently. Additionally, each of the different textured surface areas can affect the transmission of light through the component differently. In some cases, surface areas of a thicker portion of the textured component can be textured differently than surface areas of a thinner portion of the textured component, as described in detail below.

[0033] In some cases, the different textured surface regions have different gloss levels. For example, one textured surface region may have a matte appearance, while another textured surface region may have a glossy appearance. When the textured surface regions are illuminated, the gloss measurement can be used to measure the light reflected from the part. In some embodiments, the visual contrast between the different textured surface regions can be characterized by the difference in gloss values. Figure 5 The descriptions of gloss measurements and gloss values ​​provided are generally applicable herein and are not repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0034] In other cases, different textured portions of the component have different amounts of translucency. For example, one textured portion of the component may appear translucent, while a different textured portion of the component may appear transparent. Measurements of the percentage of light transmitted through the component can be used to determine an absolute measure of translucency. Relative measures of translucency, such as contrast ratio, can also be determined. Figure 5The additional descriptions of absolute and relative measures of translucency provided are generally applicable herein and are not repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0035] The different textured surface areas can be configured to meet some common performance criteria. For example, the different textured portions of the component can each have a sufficiently high light transmittance so that the color of the interior coating can be perceived through the component. As another example, the different textured surface areas can each be configured so that they do not provide an overly rough "feel" and so that they are not too difficult to clean.

[0036] The textured surface region may be characterized by one or more texture parameters. For example, the textured surface region may be described by one or more of the root mean square (RMS) height of its surface features, the pitch of its surface features, and the root mean square (RMS) slope of its surface features. Figure 6 The descriptions of these and other texture parameters provided are generally applicable herein and are not repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0037] In some cases, the textured component is a cover member that defines a feature that protrudes beyond an adjacent area of ​​the outer surface (also referred to herein as a raised feature or simply a feature). The surface area of ​​the feature can define a platform that is substantially parallel to the adjacent area of ​​the outer surface. One or more holes can extend through the raised feature to facilitate positioning of one or more device components. A portion of the textured component that includes one or more through holes can be thicker than an adjacent portion of the textured component, such as relative to Figures 1B to 5 As detailed. Figures 1B to 5 The description provided is generally applicable herein and is not repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0038] In some cases, the surface area of ​​the thicker portion is textured to produce a lower gloss level than the surface area of ​​the thinner portion of the cover member. For example, when measured at 60 degrees, the gloss measurement of the surface area of ​​the thicker portion may give a gloss value of less than about 20 gloss units, less than about 10 gloss units, 1 gloss unit to less than 10 gloss units, 2 gloss units to 7 gloss units, or 10 gloss units to 20 gloss units. In some cases, the surface area of ​​the thicker portion may be characterized by one or more of the following roughness parameters. The root mean square height may be 0.75 microns to 5 microns or 1 micron to 5 microns. The average pitch may be 10 microns to 40 microns or greater than 20 microns to less than or equal to 40 microns. The root mean square slope may be 0.1 to 0.75, 0.2 to 0.65, or 0.3 to 0.75. The peak sharpness may be 0.75 microns. -1 Up to 1.5 microns -1 .

[0039] The gloss measurement of the surface area of ​​the thinner portion can give a gloss value of greater than about 70 gloss units, greater than about 80 gloss units, greater than about 90 gloss units, greater than about 100 gloss units, 80 gloss units to less than 160 gloss units, 90 gloss units to 150 gloss units, or 100 gloss units to 140 gloss units when measured at 60 degrees. The surface area of ​​the thinner portion can have a root mean square height of less than 0.5 microns, less than 250 nm, or 1 nm to about 250 nm.

[0040] In other cases, the surface area of ​​the thicker portion is textured to produce a higher gloss level than the surface area of ​​the thinner portion of the cover member. For example, when measured at 60 degrees, the gloss measurement result of the surface area of ​​the thicker portion can give a gloss value of greater than about 70 gloss units, greater than about 80 gloss units, greater than about 90 gloss units, greater than about 100 gloss units, 80 gloss units to less than 160 gloss units, 90 gloss units to 150 gloss units or 100 gloss units to 140 gloss units. The surface area of ​​the thicker portion can have a root mean square height of less than 0.5 microns, less than 250nm, or 1nm to about 250nm. When measured at 60 degrees, the gloss measurement result of the surface area of ​​the thinner portion can give a gloss value of less than about 20 gloss units, less than about 10 gloss units, 1 gloss unit to less than 10 gloss units, 2 gloss units to 7 gloss units or 10 gloss units to 20 gloss units. In some cases, the surface area of ​​the thinner portion can be characterized by one or more of the following roughness parameters. The root mean square height can be 0.75 microns to 5 microns or 1 micron to 5 microns. The average pitch can be 10 microns to 40 microns, 15 microns to 40 microns, or greater than 20 microns to less than or equal to 40 microns. The root mean square slope can be 0.1 to 0.75, 0.2 to 0.65, or 0.3 to 0.75. The peak sharpness can be 0.75 microns. -1 Up to 1.5 microns -1 In some cases, the cover member for both sets of cases may be configured such that the difference in gloss value between the thicker portion and the thinner portion may be greater when the thicker portion has a lower gloss level than the thinner portion.

[0041] Some examples herein describe textured cover members and their properties. However, the discussion herein with respect to the properties of textured cover members also relates more generally to textured components of electronic devices. Figures 1A to 10 These and other embodiments are discussed. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting.

[0042] Figure 1A A front view of an example of an electronic device 100 having a housing including a textured glass component is shown. The electronic device 100 may be a mobile phone (also referred to as a cell phone). In further embodiments, the electronic device 100 may be a notebook computing device (e.g., a notebook or laptop), a tablet computing device (e.g., a tablet), a portable media player, a wearable device, or another type of portable electronic device. The electronic device 100 may also be a desktop computer system, a computer component, an input device, a device, or virtually any other type of electronic product or device component.

[0043] like Figure 1A As shown, electronic device 100 has housing 110 including cover assembly 122. Cover assembly, such as cover assembly 122 or 124 (eg, Figure 1B The cover assembly 122 also includes a cover member 132. The cover member 132 may extend laterally across the cover assembly 122 (such as substantially across the width and length of the cover assembly 122). In other cases, the cover assembly may include a plurality of cover members that extend substantially laterally across the cover assembly together. The cover assembly 122 may also include one or more coatings. For example, the cover assembly may include an outer oleophobic coating and / or an anti-reflective outer coating. The cover assembly may also include an inner mask layer.

[0044] The outer surface of the cover assembly 122 can at least partially define the front surface 102 of the electronic device. Figure 1A In the example of the cover assembly 122, the cover assembly 122 defines substantially the entire front surface 102, and thus can be referred to as a front cover assembly. The cover assembly is positioned above the display 144, and the housing 110 can at least partially surround the display 144. The typical cover assembly described herein is thin and generally includes a cover member having a thickness of less than 5 mm, and more typically a thickness of less than 3 mm, a thickness of less than or equal to 2 mm, or a thickness of less than or equal to 1 mm.

[0045] Although the cover assembly 122 is Figure 1A , but the principles described herein also relate to defining surface protrusions such as Figure 1B In some embodiments, the cover member may be three-dimensional or define a shaped profile. For example, the cover member may define a peripheral portion that is not coplanar with respect to the central portion. The peripheral portion may, for example, define a side wall of the electronic device housing, while the central portion defines a front surface (which may define a transparent window covering a display).

[0046] The portion of cover member 132 positioned above display 144 can be substantially transparent to visible light. In addition, cover member 132 can include one or more openings or through holes. Figure 1AIn the example of FIG. 1 , the cover member 132 includes an opening 123 that defines a speaker port. In some aspects, the cover member 132 can have a thickness of approximately 0.1 mm to 2 mm or 0.2 mm to 1 mm.

[0047] In some cases, cover member 132 may have a substantially uniform texture along its outer surface. For example, cover member 132 may have a smooth texture and may be substantially transparent to visible light. Typically, the portion of the cover member positioned above the display is substantially transparent to visible light.

[0048] In some cases, cover members such as cover member 132 and / or cover member 134 may be glass members, glass ceramic members, or members including one or more glass portions and one or more glass ceramic portions. In some cases, cover member 132 may include multiple layers, each layer selected from a glass layer, a glass ceramic layer, and a polymer layer. When the main structural members of the housing are all formed of glass, the cover member may be a glass member. Cover members such as cover member 132 and / or cover member 134 are typically chemically strengthened by ion exchange. With respect to Figure 8 and Fig. 9 The discussion of chemical strengthening provided is generally applicable herein and, for the sake of brevity, is not repeated here.

[0049] like Figure 1A As shown, the housing 110 also includes a housing member 112, which may also be referred to herein as a housing. A cover assembly 122 may be coupled to the housing member 112. For example, the cover assembly 122 may be coupled to the housing member using adhesives, fasteners, engagement features, or a combination thereof.

[0050] The housing member 112 may at least partially define the side surface 106 of the electronic device 100 and may include one or more metal members. Figure 1A In the example of FIG. 1 , the housing member 112 defines all four sides or continuous side surfaces 106 of the electronic device 100. Figure 1A As shown, the housing member 112 is formed by a series of metal segments (114, 116) separated by dielectric segments 115, which provide electrical isolation between adjacent metal segments. For example, the dielectric segment 115 may be arranged between a pair of adjacent metal segments. One or more of the metal segments (114, 116) may be coupled to the internal circuit of the electronic device 100 and may be used as an antenna for sending and receiving wireless communications. The dielectric segment may be formed by one or more dielectric materials such as polymers, glass or ceramic materials. In another specific implementation, the housing member may include one or more glass members, one or more glass ceramic members or one or more ceramic members. The opening 117 may allow (audio) input or output from a device component such as a microphone or a speaker, or may include an electrical port or electrical connection.

[0051] Figure 1B 1 shows a rear view of the electronic device 100. Figure 1B As shown, the housing 110 includes a cover assembly 124. The cover assembly 124 also includes a cover member 134. The cover member 134 can extend laterally across the cover assembly 124 (such as substantially across the width and length of the cover assembly 124). In other cases, the cover assembly can include multiple cover members that extend substantially laterally across the cover assembly together. The cover assembly 124 can also include one or more coatings, such as an oleophobic outer coating and / or an aesthetic inner coating.

[0052] The outer surface of the cover assembly 124 may at least partially define the rear surface 104 of the electronic device 100. Figure 1B In the example of , the outer surface of the cover assembly 124 defines substantially the entire rear surface 104, and thus may be referred to as a rear cover assembly. A portion 128 extending from the outer surface of the cover assembly 124 to the inner surface may define an area 148 of the outer surface of the cover assembly 124. Area 148 may also be referred to herein as a surface area, an outer surface area, or a first or base surface / outer surface area. A portion 126 that also extends from the outer surface of the cover assembly 124 to the inner surface may define an area 146 of the outer surface of the cover assembly 124. Area 146 may also be referred to herein as a surface area, an outer surface area, or a second or raised surface / outer surface area.

[0053] In some cases, the texture of surface area 146 is different from the texture of surface area 148. The different textured surface areas of cover assembly 124 can create an optical contrast between different portions of cover assembly 124. In some cases, the different textured surface areas can produce different gloss levels, different amounts of translucency, or both. For example, portion 126 of cover assembly 124 can have a lower gloss level and a higher amount of translucency (lower amount of transmitted light) than portion 128 due at least in part to the texture difference between surface areas 146 and 148. This example is not intended to be limiting, and in other examples, portion 128 can have a lower gloss level and / or a higher amount of translucency than portion 126. Figures 5 to 7 The description of the textured surface regions provided is generally applicable herein and, for the sake of brevity, will not be repeated here.

[0054] Portion 126 of cover assembly 124 may be thicker than portion 128. Figure 1B As shown in the example of , portion 126 defines a feature 127 that is raised relative to surface area 148 and may also be referred to herein as a raised feature. Feature 127 defines surface area 146. Figure 1B In the example of FIG. 1 , surface region 146 defines a substantially platform-shaped top portion of feature 127. The platform defined by surface region 146 may be substantially parallel to surface region 148.

[0055] The thickness of portion 126 of cover component 124 including feature 127 may be greater than the thickness of portion 128, and may be at least 10%, 25%, or 50% thicker than the thickness of portion 128 and up to about 250%. In some cases, the thickness of the thicker portion of the cover component (including the raised feature) is greater than about 1 mm and less than or equal to about 2 mm or about 2.5 mm. The thickness of portion 128 may be greater than about 0.3 mm and less than about 0.75 mm or greater than about 0.5 mm and less than about 1 mm. The amount of the protrusion or offset between surface area 146 and surface area 148 may be about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm or about 0.75 mm to about 2 mm. The size of feature 127 may depend at least in part on the size of the camera assembly or other device component below the raised feature. In some embodiments, the lateral dimension (e.g., width) of the raised feature may be about 5 mm to about 30 mm, about 10 mm to about 20 mm, or about 15 mm to about 30 mm.

[0056] The cover assembly 124 may define one or more holes extending through its thickness to facilitate positioning of one or more equipment components. In some cases, the hole is defined by a thicker portion 126 of the cover assembly. Figure 1B In the view of FIG. 1 , the openings 155 and 159 of the hole are visible, while the openings to the other holes are obscured by a window (e.g., window 187) and a retaining member 186 that holds the window in place. For example, retaining member 186 may be a ring, such as a metal ring, that contacts surface area 146. However, this example is not limiting, and in some cases, may be more convenient than Figure 1B Windows may be provided on a smaller number of device components or a larger number of device components as shown in the examples.

[0057] The shape of the cover member 134 can have a shape similar to that of the cover assembly 124. For example, the cover member 134 can also include a thicker portion defining a feature that protrudes relative to a thinner portion, such as Figure 5 Detailed cross-sectional views (e.g., Figure 5 feature portion 537).

[0058] Electronic device 100 includes device components 175, 176, 177, 178, and 179 that extend at least partially into feature 127. For example, device components 176, 177, and 178 are optical modules such as camera modules or a combination of camera modules and optical sensor modules, device component 175 is a lighting module, and device component 179 is a sensor module or sensor array such as a microphone sensor module.

[0059] Typically, the electronic device 100 includes a camera assembly, which in turn includes one or more optical modules. Figure 1BThe example of FIG. 1 shows optical modules 175, 176, 177, and 178 of the camera assembly. More generally, the camera assembly may define any number of optical modules, such as one, two, three, four, five, or six optical modules. Each of the optical modules 175, 176, 177, and 178 may be substantially flush with the raised area 146, protruding or recessed relative to the raised area.

[0060] Optical modules 175, 176, 177 and 178 may include, but are not limited to, camera modules, lighting modules, sensors, and combinations thereof. When the camera assembly includes a plurality of camera modules, each of the camera modules may have a different field of view or other optical properties. In some cases, the camera module includes an optical sensor array and / or optical components such as a lens, a filter, or a window. In other cases, the camera module includes an optical sensor array, an optical component, and a camera module housing surrounding the optical sensor array and the optical component. The camera module may also include a focusing assembly. For example, the focusing assembly may include an actuator for moving the lens of the camera module. In some cases, the optical sensor array may be a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) array, etc. In some cases, the sensor array for the camera assembly may include a depth measurement sensor (e.g., a time of flight sensor), an ambient light sensor, an infrared sensor, an ultraviolet sensor, a health monitoring sensor, a biometric sensor (e.g., a fingerprint sensor), etc.

[0061] Figure 1B The example also shows an additional electronic device component 179 positioned within or below the opening 159. For example, the electronic device component 179 may be a microphone or another type of sensor. A variety of sensors may be positioned within and / or adjacent to the feature 127. For example, a health monitoring sensor may be at least partially positioned within or adjacent to a raised feature of a wearable device such as a watch. As another example, the raised feature may define a key area, button area, or touchpad area of ​​a laptop or phone. Biometric sensors, touch sensors, proximity sensors, etc. may be positioned within or adjacent to the raised feature. Relative to Fig.10 The description of the sensors provided is generally applicable herein and, for the sake of brevity, will not be repeated here.

[0062] In other examples, the feature 127 need not include an opening for the additional electronic device component 159. In such cases, a sensor assembly for the additional electronic device component 159 may be positioned below the feature 127 along the inner surface of the cover assembly.

[0063] In addition to the display and camera components, the electronic device 100 may also include additional components. These additional components may include one or more of a processing unit, a control circuit, a memory, an input / output device, a power source (e.g., a battery), a charging component (e.g., a wireless charging component), a network communication interface, accessories, and a sensor. Fig.10 The components of the sample electronics are discussed in more detail and combined with Fig.10 The description provided generally applies to this article.

[0064] Figure 2 2 shows a rear view of another electronic device 200. Figure 2 As shown, the housing 210 includes a cover assembly 224 that defines the rear surface 204 of the electronic device 200. The cover assembly 224 also includes a cover member 234. The cover member 234 may be similar to the cover member 234 with respect to Figure 1B The cover member 124 is described above, and for the sake of brevity, those details are not repeated here.

[0065] exist Figure 2 In the example of , the outer surface of the cover assembly 224 defines substantially the entire rear surface 204 and may therefore be referred to as a rear cover assembly. The portion 228 of the cover assembly 224 may define a surface area 248 and the portion 226 of the cover assembly 224 may define a surface area 246 .

[0066] In some cases, the texture of surface region 246 is different from the texture of surface region 248. The different textured surface regions of cover component 224 can create an optical contrast between different portions of cover component 224. In some cases, the different textured surface regions can create different gloss levels, different amounts of translucency, or both. Figures 5 to 7 The descriptions provided of textured surface regions are generally applicable herein and are not repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0067] Portion 226 of cover assembly 224 may be thicker than portion 228. Figure 2 As shown in the example of FIG. 2 , portion 226 defines a feature 227 that is raised relative to region 248. Feature 227 defines surface region 246. Figure 2 In the example shown, surface region 246 defines a substantially platform-shaped top portion of feature 227 .

[0068] The cover assembly 224 may define one or more holes extending through its thickness to facilitate positioning of one or more equipment components. In some cases, the hole is defined by a thicker portion 226 of the cover assembly. Figure 2 In the example of FIG. 2 , the aperture defines openings 256 , 257 , 258 , and 259 in surface region 246 .

[0069] Figure 2The example shows optical modules 276, 277, and 278 of the camera assembly. More generally, the camera assembly may define any number of optical modules, such as one, two, three, four, five, or six optical modules. For example, each of the optical modules 276, 277, and 278 is a camera module, an optical sensor module, or an illumination module, and the device component 279 is a sensor such as a microphone. Figure 1B The descriptions provided of device components such as optical modules and sensors are generally applicable herein and are not repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0070] Optical modules such as optical modules 276, 277, and 278 may be at least partially positioned within apertures in cover assembly 224 (eg, Figure 3 and Figure 4 An optical module such as optical module 277 may also be positioned within the opening of the hole, as shown in the partial cross-sectional view of FIG. Figure 4 , as shown in a partial cross-sectional view. Each of optical modules 276, 277, and 278 may be substantially flush with raised area 246, protruding or recessed relative to the raised area. In some cases, one or more of optical modules 276, 277, and 278 may include a window as part of its optical components, wherein the window is positioned within its housing. The window may protect underlying components (e.g., cameras, lenses, other sensors) and may define a portion of the outer surface of the cover assembly. In another example, a window may be provided above one or more of the optical components and sensors, as previously described with respect to Figure 1B The camera assembly may be coupled to the inner surface of the cover assembly, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown.

[0071] Housing member 212 may at least partially define side surface 206 of electronic device 200. Housing member 212, metal segments 214 and 216, dielectric segment 215, and opening 217 may be similar to housing member 112, metal segments 114 and 116, dielectric segment 115, and opening 117, and for the sake of brevity, these details are not repeated here.

[0072] Figure 3 A partial cross-sectional view of an electronic device 300 including an example back cover assembly and a camera assembly is shown. The electronic device 300 may be similar to Figure 1A and Figure 1B The electronic device 100, and the cross section may be along Figure 1B The electronic device 300 includes a cover assembly 322 located at the front of the electronic device 300 and a cover assembly 324 located at the rear.

[0073] The cover assembly 322 includes a cover member 332, and the cover assembly 324 includes a cover member 334. Each of the cover members 332 and 334 may be a glass member, a glass ceramic member, or a member including one or more glass portions and one or more glass ceramic portions. Each of the cover members 332 and 334 may include an outer coating, an inner coating, or a combination thereof. Figure 3 A coating 360 is shown provided along the interior surface 352 of the cover member 334. In some cases, the coating 360 can provide a desired color to the cover member 334. In other cases, the coating 360 can function as a masking layer.

[0074] The outer surface of the cover assembly 324 includes two distinct surface areas 346 and 348. Figure 3 In the example of , surface region 346 and surface region 348 are textured differently. Specifically, surface region 346 has a rougher texture than surface region 348 and may have a lower gloss value. However, this example is not limiting, and in some cases, the surface region defined by the thicker portion may have a smoother texture than the surface region defined by the thinner portion of the cover assembly, such as in the example of Figure 4 Compared to Figures 5 to 7 The description of the textured surface regions provided is generally applicable herein and, for the sake of brevity, will not be repeated here.

[0075] exist Figure 3 In the example of , the cover assembly 324 includes a thicker portion 326 and a thinner portion 328. The thicker portion 326 defines a surface area 346, and the thinner portion 328 defines a surface area 348. The thicker portion 326 also defines a feature 327 that protrudes relative to the surface area 348. Features that protrude relative to another portion of the cover assembly may also be collectively referred to as protruding features herein. Typically, the surface area 348 of the cover assembly 324 and at least a portion of the portion 328 are substantially adjacent to the protruding feature 327. The portion 328 may also be referred to as a base portion herein, and the surface area 348 may also be referred to as a base area. The surface area 346 of the outer surface protrudes or convex relative to the area 348, and therefore may be referred to as a raised area, an offset area, an outer area, or simply the top surface of the raised feature 327. For example, the raised surface area 346 may substantially define a platform.

[0076] As previously compared to Figure 1B As shown, cover assembly 324 defines an aperture extending through portion 326 and raised feature 327 . Figure 3 The cross-sectional view of shows holes 367 and 368, which may also be referred to herein as through holes. The openings of these holes are located in surface region 346, which may be a textured region.

[0077] The cover member 334 may also include raised features, such as Figure 5 Detailed cross-sectional views (e.g., Figure 5 As previously described with respect to cover assembly 224, the raised feature of member 334 may be part of a thicker portion of the member than adjacent portions of member 334. Figure 3 As shown, member 334 also at least partially defines aperture 367 and aperture 368 .

[0078] The electronic device 300 also includes a camera assembly 370 . Figure 3 The partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 shows two optical modules (377, 378) of the camera assembly 370. Figure 3 As shown, camera assembly 370 is coupled to coating 360. In examples where coating 360 does not extend below the raised features, camera assembly 370 can be more directly coupled to the inner surface of member 334. In some cases, camera assembly 370 can be coupled to inner surface 342 of cover assembly 324 with an adhesive bond, which can be provided by an adhesive layer. As another example, camera assembly 370 can be coupled to the inner surface of cover assembly 324 with fasteners or other forms of mechanical attachment.

[0079] Camera assembly 370 also includes support structure 371. Support structure 371 can be configured to hold various elements of camera assembly 370 in place. For example, each of optical modules 377 and 378 can be mounted to support structure 371. Figure 3 In the example of FIG. 3 , the support structure 371 includes a bracket 372 having a non-planar profile. The shape of the bracket 372 is not limited to Figure 3 The bracket 372 may be coupled to the inner surface of the cover assembly 324. Figure 3 In the example of , the support structure 371 also includes a frame 373 that is at least partially nested within the bracket 372 and supports a circuit assembly 374 that can be mounted on a printed circuit board. However, this example is not limiting, and in other embodiments, the frame 373 can be omitted.

[0080] The support structure 371 and the coupling between the camera assembly 370 and the inner surface of the cover assembly 324 can be configured to limit bending of the cover member 334 near the raised feature 327. For example, the support structure 371 can be configured to limit bending, which would tend to increase the outward curvature of the surface area 346 (and increase its convexity). Limiting the bending of the raised area can limit the tensile stress caused by the bending along the surface area 346. In addition, the coupling between the camera assembly 370 and the inner surface of the cover assembly 324 can be sufficiently rigid that the position of the neutral axis of the combination of the cover assembly 324 and the camera assembly 370 is offset compared to the corresponding neutral axis of the cover assembly 324 alone. For example, the neutral axis of the combination of the cover assembly 324 and the camera assembly 370 can be offset inwardly away from the exterior surface 344 compared to the corresponding neutral axis of the cover assembly 324 alone. In some cases, the offset of the neutral axis may be most noticeable in the raised feature 327 of the cover assembly 324.

[0081] The first optical module 377 and the second optical module 378 are aligned with the holes 367 and 368, respectively. Figure 3 As shown, the first optical module 377 extends substantially through the hole 367, and the second optical module 378 extends substantially through the hole 368. Figure 3 In the example of FIG. 3 , the end of each of optical modules 377 and 378 extends beyond (protrudes beyond) surface area 346. In other examples, the end of the optical module may be flush or recessed relative to surface area 346, such as Figure 4 In some cases, the electronic device can include at least one optical module that is flush with or extends beyond surface area 346 and another optical module that is recessed relative to surface area 346.

[0082] As previously compared to Figure 1B and Figure 2 As described above, the optical module may include a camera module, a lighting module, an optical sensor, etc. Typically, the camera assembly 370 includes at least one camera module and may include two, three, four, or five camera modules. The camera module is electrically connected to the circuit assembly 374. Figure 3 As shown, separate windows 387 and 388 are provided above through holes 367 and 368, and retaining member 386 holds windows 387 and 388 in place. For example, retaining member 386 may be a ring around the end of the optical module, such as a metal ring. Alternatively, the optical module may include a window as part of its optical components, wherein the window is positioned within its housing. The window may protect the underlying components (e.g., camera, lens, other sensors), and may define a portion of the outer surface of the cover assembly.

[0083] Cover assembly 324 also includes a coating 360 disposed along inner surface 352 of cover member 334. In some cases, the coating can be an aesthetic or decorative coating. Coating 360 can define the inner surface of the cover assembly. When cover assembly 324 includes a textured area, the appearance of the electronic device may be due to the combined effect of the textured area and coating 360. Figure 3 As shown, coating 360 is positioned beneath both portions 326 and 328 of cover assembly 324 .

[0084] In some cases, coating 360 can provide a desired color to one or more portions of cover assembly 324. For example, coating 360 can define a color visible along one or more surfaces of cover assembly 324 or cover member 334. In other cases, coating 360 can be used as a masking layer. Figure 3 In the example of FIG. 3 , portion 326 can have a different or similar color than portion 328. In some cases, different textured portions of cover component 324 can have substantially different L* values.

[0085] In some cases, coating 360 includes polymer.Coating 360 may include at least 40%, 50%, 60% or 70% of polymer, and therefore may be referred to as a polymer-based coating or polymer coating.When coating 360 also includes a colorant, the polymer may serve as a binder for the colorant.The colorant (e.g., pigment) may be substantially dispersed in the matrix of the polymer.For example, the polymer may be polyester-based, epoxy-based or urethane-based, or may be based on another suitable type of polymer or copolymer.Coating 360 may also include optional additives, such as one or more extenders, diluents, polymerization initiators and / or stabilizers.In some embodiments, the polymer has a cross-linked structure.

[0086] In some cases, the coating may include a color layer (e.g., ink, dye, paint, etc.) and / or a metal layer. As previously described, coating 360 may include at least one color layer. The color layer may include a polymer and a colorant dispersed in the polymer, and may be transparent, translucent or opaque. More generally, any pigment, paint, ink, dye, sheet, film or other layer may be used as coating 360 or a portion thereof. In some embodiments, coating 360 is a multilayer coating including a first color layer and a second color layer. Each of the color layers may be transparent, translucent or opaque. Each of the color layers may include the same colorant, or different color layers may include different colorants. The thickness of each color layer in the color layer in coating 360 may be about 2 microns to about 10 microns.

[0087] The color layer and coating 360 may have a colored color or a non-colored color. The color of the coating 360 may be characterized using a color model. For example, in the hue-saturation-value (HSV) color model, the hue relates to the wavelength of visible light observed when viewing a color feature (e.g., blue or magenta), and the value relates to the lightness or darkness of the color. Saturation relates to the perceived chromaticity, as judged in proportion to its brightness. As another example, coordinates in the CIEL*a*b* (CIELAB) color space may be used to characterize a color, where L* represents lightness, a* represents a position between red / magenta and green, and b* represents a position between yellow and blue.

[0088] In some cases, coating 360 may include multiple layers. For example, coating 360 may include one or more color layers, metal layers, optically transparent layers, optically dense layers, and combinations thereof. In other cases, the coating need not include a color layer, but may include one or more of an optically dense layer and a metal layer.

[0089] For example, coating 360 may include an optically dense layer. The optically dense layer may substantially reduce or prevent the transmission of visible light, thereby "blocking" the view of components positioned behind the optically dense layer through cover assembly 324. In addition, the optical properties of the optically dense layer may be configured to adjust the brightness and / or chromaticity of coating 360.

[0090] For example, the optical density of an optically dense layer (initial intensity / transmitted intensity) can be calculated by OD=log 10 to describe and may be greater than or equal to 1, greater than or equal to 2, or greater than or equal to 3. In general, the optically dense layer comprises a polymer. The optically dense layer may also contain one or more pigments, dyes, or combinations thereof. For example, the optically dense layer has a substantially wavelength-independent (neutral) reflectivity and / or absorption spectrum in the visible range. In addition, the optically dense layer may have a non-color characteristic color. The thickness of the optically dense layer may be from about 2 microns to about 10 microns.

[0091] In other embodiments, in addition to one or more color layers, coating 360 may include a metal layer. Such a metal layer may provide a metallic effect to the coating seen through cover assembly 324. The metal layer may be a partial layer (e.g., a partial layer having a lateral dimension smaller than the color layer) when used to form a metal mark. For example, the metal of the layer may be selected from aluminum, copper, nickel, silver, gold, platinum, and alloys thereof. In some cases, the metal layer may be configured to transmit visible light at least partially. For example, the metal layer may have a thickness greater than about 0.5 nm and less than 10 nm, less than 5 nm, less than 3 nm, less than 2 nm, or less than 1 nm. A thicker metal layer may be used to form a mark or another mark below a component. The mark may be in the form of an image, pattern, text, glyph, symbol, mark, geometric shape, or a combination thereof.

[0092] The metal layer can be disposed along the inner surface 352 of the member 334. In some cases, the metal layer can be used in combination with an optically transparent layer. The optically transparent layer can have one or more mechanical properties (e.g., modulus, hardness, and / or toughness) that limit or prevent cracks from propagating from the metal layer into the member 334. The optically transparent layer can be a polymer layer and can have a thickness of about 1 micron to about 5 microns. The optically transparent layer can be disposed along the inner surface 352 of the member 334, the metal layer can be positioned between the optically transparent layer and the optically dense layer, the first color layer can be positioned between the metal layer and the optically dense layer, and the second color layer can be positioned between the first color layer and the optically dense layer.

[0093] In addition, the coating may include additional polymer layers disposed behind and along the optically dense layer. If components of the electronic device are glued to the coating, these additional layers may include a protective layer that protects the color layer of the multilayer coating from being damaged by the gluing. Additional layers may also include an inward layer of a protective layer that facilitates adhesion of the coating to the glue.

[0094] The electronic device 300 also includes a display 384 and a touch sensor 382 disposed below the front cover assembly 322. The display 384 and the touch sensor 382 may be coupled to the front cover assembly 322. The display 384 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an LED backlit LCD display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, an active layer organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display, etc. The touch sensor 382 may be configured to detect or measure a touch position along an outer surface of the front cover assembly 322.

[0095] Each of the cover assembly 322 and the cover assembly 324 is coupled to the housing member 314, such as with an adhesive, a fastener, or a combination thereof. The housing member 314 may be similar to Figure 1A The housing component 114 at least partially defines the inner cavity 305 of the electronic device 300.

[0096] Figure 4 A partial cross-sectional view of an electronic device 400 including an example back cover assembly and a camera assembly is shown. The electronic device 400 may be similar to Figure 2 The electronic device 200 is shown in FIG. 4 , and the cross section can be taken along BB. The electronic device 400 includes a cover assembly 422 located at the front of the electronic device 400 and a cover assembly 424 located at the rear.

[0097] Cover assembly 422 includes cover member 432, and cover assembly 424 includes cover member 434. Each of cover member 432 and cover member 434 may be a glass member, a glass ceramic member, or a member including one or more glass portions and one or more glass ceramic portions.

[0098] Each of cover member 432 and cover member 434 may include an outer coating, an inner coating, or a combination thereof. Figure 4 Coating 460 is shown provided along interior surface 452 of cover member 434. In some cases, coating 460 can provide a desired color by defining a color visible along one or more surfaces of cover member 434 and cover assembly 424. In other cases, coating 460 can function as a masking layer.

[0099] The outer surface of the cover assembly 424 includes two distinct surface areas 446 and 448. Figure 4 In the example of , surface region 446 and surface region 448 are textured differently. Specifically, surface region 446 has a smoother texture than surface region 448 and may have a higher gloss value. However, this example is not limiting, and in some cases, the surface region defined by the thicker portion may have a rougher texture than the surface region defined by the thinner portion of the cover assembly, such as in the example of Figure 3 Compared to Figures 5 to 7 The description of the textured surface regions provided is generally applicable herein and, for the sake of brevity, will not be repeated here.

[0100] exist Figure 4 In the example of , cover assembly 424 includes a thicker portion 426 and a thinner portion 428. Thicker portion 426 defines surface area 446, and thinner portion 428 defines surface area 448. Thicker portion 426 also defines a feature 427 that is raised relative to surface area 448. Typically, surface area 448 and at least a portion of portion 428 of cover assembly 434 are substantially adjacent to raised feature 427. Portion 428 may also be referred to herein as a base portion, and surface area 448 may also be referred to as a base area. Surface area 446 of the outer surface is raised or convex relative to area 448, and thus may be referred to as a raised area, an offset area, an outer area, or simply as a top surface of raised feature 427. For example, raised surface area 446 may substantially define a platform.

[0101] As previously compared to Figure 1B , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, cover assembly 424 defines an aperture extending through portion 426 and raised feature 427 . Figure 4The cross-sectional view of FIG. 444 shows holes 467 and 468, which may also be referred to herein as through holes. Cover assembly 424 also defines an opening 457 for hole 467 and an opening 458 for hole 468. Openings 457 and 458 are located in region 446.

[0102] The cover member 434 may also include raised features, such as Figure 5 Detailed cross-sectional views (e.g., Figure 5 Similar to cover assembly 224, the raised feature of cover member 434 may be part of a thicker portion of the cover member compared to adjacent portions of the cover member 434. Figure 4 As shown, member 434 also at least partially defines aperture 467 and aperture 468 .

[0103] The electronic device 400 also includes a camera assembly 470 . Figure 4 The partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 shows two optical modules ( 477 , 478 ) of the camera assembly 470 . Figure 4 As shown, camera assembly 470 is coupled to coating 460. Figure 3 The descriptions of the provided coatings and additional ways of coupling the camera assembly to the cover assembly are generally applicable herein and are not repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0104] Optical modules 477 and 478 are aligned with holes 467 and 468, respectively. Figure 4 As shown, optical module 477 extends substantially through hole 467, and optical module 478 extends substantially through hole 468. Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 4 , the end of each of the optical modules 477 and 478 is flush with the surface area 446. In other examples, the end of the optical module may protrude relative to the surface area 446, such as Figure 3 As shown, or may be recessed relative to surface area 446.

[0105] As previously compared to Figure 1B , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As described, the optical module may include a camera module, a lighting module, an optical sensor, etc. Optical modules 477 and / or 478 may include a window as part of their optical components, wherein the window is positioned within their housing. The window may protect the underlying components (e.g., camera, lens, other sensors) and may define a portion of the outer surface of the cover assembly. Figure 1B and Figure 2 The descriptions provided of device components such as optical modules and sensors are generally applicable herein and are not repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0106] Camera assembly 470 also includes support structure 471. Support structure 471, bracket 472, frame 473, and circuit assembly 474 may be similar to support structure 371, bracket 372, frame 373, and circuit assembly 374, and for the sake of brevity, these details are not repeated here.

[0107] Electronic device 400 also includes display 484 and touch sensor 482 disposed below front cover assembly 422. Display 484 and touch sensor 482 can be similar to display 384 and touch sensor 382, ​​and for the sake of brevity, these details are not repeated here. In addition, each of cover assembly 422 and cover assembly 424 is coupled to housing member 414, such as with an adhesive, a fastener, or a combination thereof. Housing member 414 can be similar to Figure 1A The housing component 114 at least partially defines the inner cavity 405 of the electronic device 400.

[0108] Figure 5 A partial cross-sectional view of an example cover member 534 of an electronic device is shown. Cover member 534 includes different textured surface areas 556 and 558. Cover member 534 may be Figure 1B Examples of cover members 134 or any other cover members described herein.

[0109] The portion 538 of the cover member 534 extending from the outer surface 554 to the inner surface 552 can define an area 558 of the outer surface 554. The area 558 may also be referred to herein as a surface area 558, an outer surface area 558, or a first or base surface area. The portion 536 of the cover member 534 also extending from the outer surface 554 to the inner surface 552 can define an area 556 of the outer surface 554. The area 556 may also be referred to herein as a surface area 556, an outer surface area 556, or a second or raised surface area. The surface area 559 may join the surface area 556 and the surface area 558.

[0110] Portion 536 of cover member 534 may be thicker than portion 538. Figure 5 As shown in the example of FIG. 5 , portion 536 defines a feature 537 that is raised relative to surface area 558. Feature 537 defines surface area 556. Figure 5 In the example of FIG. 5 , surface region 556 defines the top of the substantially platform shape of feature 537. Surface region 559 may define the side surface of raised feature 537. Through holes 567 and 568 extend through thicker portion 536 and raised feature 537.

[0111] The total thickness of the portion 536 of the cover member 534 including the feature 537 may be greater than the thickness of the portion 538, and may be at least 10%, 25%, or 50% thicker than the thickness of the portion 538 and up to about 250%. In some cases, the thickness of the thicker portion of the cover member (including the protruding feature) is greater than about 1 mm and less than or equal to about 2 mm or about 2.5 mm. The thickness of the portion 538 may be greater than about 0.3 mm and less than about 0.75 mm or greater than about 0.5 mm and less than about 1 mm. The amount of the protrusion or offset between the surface area 556 and the surface area 558 may be about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm or about 0.75 mm to about 2 mm. The size of the feature 537 may depend at least in part on the size of the camera assembly or other device component below the protruding feature. In some embodiments, the lateral dimension (e.g., width) of the protruding feature may be about 5 mm to about 30 mm, about 10 mm to about 20 mm, or about 15 mm to about 30 mm.

[0112] exist Figure 5 In the example of , the texture of surface area 556 is different from the texture of surface area 558. The different textured surface areas of cover member 534 can be configured to produce significant optical contrast between different parts of cover member 534. For example, the different textured surface areas can produce differences in gloss, translucency, or both, which are easily perceived by the eye. In addition, the different textured surface areas can be configured to produce perceptibly different "feels". The different textured surface areas can also be configured to meet some common performance standards. For example, the different textured surface areas can each be configured so that they do not provide a "feel" that is too rough, and so that they are not too difficult to clean. The different textured surface areas can also be configured so that the corresponding parts of the cover member meet common performance standards. For example, the different textured parts of the component can each have a sufficiently high light transmittance so that the color of the internal coating can be perceived through the component. In addition, the different textured parts of the component can each have a minimum intensity, as measured, for example, using a ring-on-ring test.

[0113] In some cases, the different textured surface regions can produce different gloss levels, different translucency values, or both. For example, portion 536 of cover member 534 can have a lower gloss and a higher translucency than portion 538 due at least in part to the texture difference between surface regions 556 and 558. This example is not intended to be limiting, and in other examples, portion 538 can have a lower gloss and / or a higher translucency than portion 536.

[0114] In some cases, the texture of surface region 556 has at least one roughness parameter, such as root mean square surface height, root mean square slope, pitch, and / or average peak curvature, that is greater than a roughness parameter of surface region 558. In some cases, surface region 558 can have a smooth texture that is tactilely and / or visually different from the texture of surface region 556. For example, surface region 558 can have a relatively smooth texture resulting from a polishing process. In some cases, surface region 556 can be configured to produce a window (e.g., a window) of an optical module in through openings 567 or 568. Figure 1B The window or lens may have a highly polished surface having a gloss level greater than about 40 gloss units or greater than about 50 gloss units. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The additional descriptions of roughness parameters provided are generally applicable herein and are not repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0115] In some cases, the textured surface region 556 can be characterized by one or more of the following roughness parameters. The root mean square height can be 0.75 microns to 5 microns or 1 micron to 5 microns. The average pitch can be 10 microns to 40 microns, 15 microns to 40 microns, or greater than 20 microns to less than or equal to 40 microns. The root mean square slope can be 0.1 to 0.75, 0.2 to 0.65, or 0.3 to 0.75. The peak sharpness can be 0.75 microns. -1 Up to 1.5 microns -1 The textured surface region 558 can have a root mean square height of less than 0.5 microns, less than 250 nm, or from 1 nm to about 250 nm.

[0116] The textured surface area of ​​the cover member, such as textured surface area 556, can be configured to provide a specified gloss level to the portion of the cover member that defines the textured surface area. For simplicity, the gloss level measured by illuminating the textured surface area can be referred to the textured surface in this article. However, when the portion of the cover member is translucent or transparent, some of the light illuminating the textured surface area will be transmitted through the cover member and can be reflected from the opposite surface of the cover member. The gloss value can depend in part on the refractive index of the glass or glass-ceramic portion of the cover. In some cases, the refractive index can be in the range of about 1.47 to about 1.57. In some cases, the end value of the range can vary by + / -10% or + / -5%. In some embodiments, measuring the gloss level by illuminating the textured area 556 can result in a gloss value of less than about 50 gloss units, less than about 40 gloss units, less than about 30 gloss units, less than about 20 gloss units, less than about 10 gloss units, 1 gloss unit to less than 10 gloss units, 2 gloss units to 7 gloss units, 2 gloss units to 20 gloss units, 10 gloss units to 20 gloss units, 5 gloss units to 50 gloss units, 10 gloss units to 50 gloss units, 10 gloss units to 45 gloss units, or 15 gloss units to 45 gloss units when measured at 60 degrees. The gloss level can be measured in the absence of a coating.

[0117] The gloss level of another surface area of ​​the cover member, such as the textured area 558, can be different from the gloss level of the textured area 556. For example, the other surface area, such as when the other area has a smoother surface, can have a higher gloss than the gloss of the textured area 556. For example, measuring the gloss level by illuminating the other surface area can result in a gloss value greater than about 70 gloss units, greater than about 80 gloss units, greater than about 90 gloss units, greater than about 100 gloss units, 80 gloss units to less than 160 gloss units, 90 gloss units to 150 gloss units, or 100 gloss units to 140 gloss units when measured at 60 degrees.

[0118] The difference between the gloss levels of these surface areas may be at least 10% and less than 100% or at least 10% and less than 50%. In some cases, the difference in gloss values ​​may be at least 10 gloss units, at least 20 gloss units, at least 50 gloss units, 70 gloss units to 160 gloss units, 80 gloss units to 140 gloss units, or 90 gloss units to 150 gloss units when measured at 60 degrees. In some cases, the gloss of the textured area may be measured using commercially available equipment and according to ASTM or ISO standard test methods. Angular measurements may refer to the angle between the incident light and a perpendicular to the surface textured area.

[0119] The textured surface area of ​​the cover member, such as the textured area 556, can be configured to produce a translucent or hazy effect. The translucency level of the portion of the cover member that defines the textured surface area can be evaluated in several ways. For example, the translucency value can be measured by measuring the percentage of light incident on the textured surface area that is transmitted through the cover member. More specifically, the transmission haze and / or clarity can be measured to determine the relative amount of wide-angle scattering and narrow-angle scattering. In addition, the relative translucency value can be determined as described below. The relative translucency value may be useful when a smaller surface area, such as a surface area with a diameter in the range of 3 mm to 7 mm, is to be determined.

[0120] The relative translucency value includes a contrast ratio and a translucency parameter. The contrast value is determined by measuring the reflected light using a white background and measuring the reflected light using a black background. For example, the contrast ratio can be calculated as the luminance flux of a material on a black background divided by the luminance flux of a material on a white background. The contrast value is 1 for opaque materials and 0 for transparent materials, and is more sensitive to materials with a transmittance of about 50% or greater. The translucency parameter is determined by measuring the coordinates in the CIEL*a*b* (CIELAB) color space when the material is on a black background and on a white background. For example, the translucency parameter can be calculated as ((L 白色 -L 黑色 ) 2 +(a 白色 -a 黑色 ) 2 +(b 白色 -b 黑色 ) 2 ). In some cases, a higher translucency value indicates that less light is transmitted through the material.

[0121] The textured surface area of ​​the cover member can be configured to provide a specified level of cleanability. For example, the texture of the surface area can be configured so that the root mean square (RMS) height of the feature is not too large. The texture can also be configured so that the size of any recessed surface features and the spacing between surface features are large enough to facilitate cleaning. In addition, the texture can be configured so that the root mean square (RMS) slope and / or average peak curvature of the surface features are small enough to provide a desired tactile property in addition to providing a desired level of cleanability.

[0122] The strength or load-bearing capacity of the cover member 534 can be tested by applying a load to the protruding feature. For example, a load can be applied to the rear surface of the protruding feature to introduce a tensile stress at the front (top) surface of the protruding feature. In some cases, the median load-bearing capacity of the top of the protruding feature is 400N to 600N or 450N to 550N. In other cases, 90% or more of the load-bearing capacity values ​​are in the range between 300N and 700N. In some cases, the strength is measured before chemical strengthening, while in other cases, the strength can be measured after chemical strengthening.

[0123] The cover member 534 may be a glass member, a glass ceramic member, or a member comprising one or more glass portions and one or more glass ceramic portions. The glass member or the glass portion of the member typically comprises a glass material based on silica. The glass material may have a network structure, such as a network structure based on silicates. In some embodiments, the glass material comprises an aluminosilicate glass. As used herein, aluminosilicate glass comprises the elements aluminum, silicon, and oxygen, but may also include other elements. Typically, the glass material comprises an ion-exchangeable glass material, such as an alkali aluminosilicate glass (e.g., lithium aluminosilicate glass). The ion-exchangeable aluminosilicate glass may contain monovalent or divalent ions that compensate for the charge caused by the replacement of silicon ions by aluminum ions. Suitable monovalent ions include, but are not limited to, alkali metal ions, such as Li + 、Na + or K + Suitable divalent ions include alkaline earth ions such as Ca 2+ Or Mg 2+ As previously mentioned relative to Figure 1B As discussed, the cover member 534 can be chemically strengthened by ion exchange. For example, ions within the glass or glass-ceramic can be exchanged with larger ions to create compressive stress regions along one or more surfaces of the cover member. Figure 8 and Fig. 9 The description of chemical strengthening provided is generally applicable herein and, for the sake of brevity, is not repeated here.

[0124] The glass ceramic component or the glass ceramic part of the component includes a glass ceramic material. As described herein, the glass ceramic material includes one or more crystalline phases formed by the crystallization of the (precursor) glass material. Therefore, the glass ceramic material is at least partially crystallized. For example, the glass ceramic material may include 50% to 90%, 60% to 90%, 70% to 90%, 75% to 95% or more than 80% crystalline phases by volume. The glass ceramic material may also include an amorphous (glass) phase. The glass ceramic material may be an alkali silicate, an alkaline earth silicate, an aluminosilicate, a boroaluminosilicate, a perovskite glass ceramic, a silicophosphate, an iron silicate, a fluorosilicate, a phosphate or a glass ceramic material from another glass ceramic composition system. In some embodiments, the glass ceramic part includes an aluminosilicate glass ceramic or a boroaluminosilicate glass ceramic. In some embodiments, the glass ceramic material is formed by the crystallization of an aluminosilicate glass material. For example, a lithium aluminosilicate glass ceramic component may be formed by the crystallization of a lithium aluminosilicate (LAS) glass material.

[0125] Figure 6 A detailed view of a surface area 656 of the cover member 634 is shown. The surface area 656 may be Figure 5 Surface area 656 of cover member 334 or an example of a similar textured surface area as described herein. Cover member 634 can be an example of cover member 534 or any of the various cover members described herein. The details of these cover members are applicable to cover member 634 and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity. Surface area 656 can also be similar to the surface area of ​​cover member 334 corresponding to surface area 346 of cover assembly 324 and the surface area of ​​cover member 424 corresponding to surface area 448 of cover assembly 424.

[0126] Surface region 656 includes a plurality of surface features 680. Figure 6 Schematically shown, surface feature 680 can define one or more depressions, such as surface feature 684. Surface feature 680 can also define one or more protrusions, such as surface feature 682. In some embodiments, the average magnitude of the radius of curvature of the depressions is greater than the average magnitude of the radius of curvature of the protrusions. Figure 6 The shapes of the protrusions and recesses schematically shown are exemplary and are not intended to be limiting.

[0127] In some embodiments, surface feature 680 defines a set of hills and valleys. The hills and valleys may be defined using planar texture analysis techniques as described below. Surface feature 682 may generally correspond to hill features, and surface feature 684 may generally correspond to valley features. Figure 6As shown, the set of hills and valleys may have uneven or irregular spacing between hill features and / or valley features. In other embodiments, a set of hills and valleys has substantially uniform spacing between hill features, valley features, or a combination thereof.

[0128] The height of surface features 680 may be measured relative to reference surface 681. For example, the height of a hill may be determined from the highest point (eg, point 683), and the height of a valley may be determined from the lowest point (eg, point 685).

[0129] Figure 6 The examples of surface features provided in are not limiting, and in general, the surface features 680 of the surface area of ​​the cover member 634 can define any of a range of shapes or configurations. The surface features 680 can have a variety of shapes, such as rounded features or angular features. For example, the surface features 680 can define a circular, elliptical, polygonal, rectangular, or irregular surface profile. In addition, the surface features 680 can define protrusions, depressions, or combinations thereof, and can have any suitable shape and can be pyramidal, conical, or cylindrical.

[0130] Surface features 680 may be configured to provide specific optical properties to surface area 656 and to the cover assembly and electronic device including cover member 634. However, the surface features 680 that define the texture of the surface area may not be visually perceptible alone. In some cases, the texture of the surface area may make cover member 634 appear translucent rather than transparent. In some cases, the texture may be configured to provide a specific level of such optical properties, such as gloss, translucency, color, and combinations thereof. The following discussion of optical properties and texture parameters is generally applicable to the textured surface areas described herein, including surface areas 556, 558, 656, and 758.

[0131] The textured surface area of ​​the cover member may be configured to provide a specified level of transmission haze to a corresponding portion of the cover member. In some cases, the transmission haze of the surface area can be measured using commercially available equipment and according to ASTM or ISO standard test methods. Transmission haze may be related to the amount of light that is subject to wide-angle scattering (e.g., greater than 2.5 degrees). As a non-limiting example, transmission haze can be measured using a haze-gardi device purchased from BYK or a GC 5000L variable photometer purchased from Nippon Denshoku. When the cover assembly or the cover member is removed from the electronic device, the transmission haze scattering of the cover assembly or the cover member can be measured. In some cases, the transmission haze may be greater than or equal to about 50%, greater than or equal to about 60%, or greater than or equal to about 70%. For example, the transmission haze may be about 60% to about 90%, or about 70% to about 80%. In other cases, the transmission haze of the surface area may have a lower amount of transmission haze, such as less than 50%, less than 40%, less than 30%, or less than 25%.

[0132] The textured surface area of ​​the cover member can be configured to provide a specified level of clarity to a corresponding portion of the cover member. The clarity or transmission narrow angle scattering of the textured area can be measured using commercially available equipment and according to ASTM or ISO standard test methods. Transmission narrow angle scattering can be measured using a haze-gardi device purchased from BYK or a GC 5000L variable photometer purchased from NipponDenshoku. The intensity (I 中心 ) and the intensity in the ring surrounding the central region (I 环 ) is used to determine the clarity value. For example, the clarity value may be equal to 100%*(I 中心 -I 环 ) / (I 中心 +I 环 ). When the cover assembly or the cover member is removed from the electronic device, the clarity or transmission narrow angle scattering of the cover assembly or the cover member can be measured. In some cases, the clarity can be less than about 50%, less than about 40%, less than about 30%, less than about 20%, less than about 15%, or less than about 10%. For example, the clarity can be about 5% to about 30%, about 5% to about 20%, about 5% to about 15%, or about 5% to about 15%.

[0133] In some cases, the textured surface area of ​​the cover member may be configured to provide a specified level of visual uniformity to the corresponding portion of the cover member. The granularity of the textured area can be measured under diffuse lighting using a commercially available device. The granularity of the textured area of ​​the cover assembly can be similarly measured. In some cases, the image of the textured surface area of ​​the cover member can be obtained using a digital camera, and the brightness of each pixel of the image can be determined, thereby allowing the brightness variation across the textured surface to be determined. For example, the BYK-mac device purchased from BYK can produce a granularity value determined by a histogram of brightness levels. In some cases, the granularity of the textured surface area may be less than about 1.5 or less than about 1.0. In addition, the granularity may be about 0.1 to about 1.5, about 0.1 to about 1.0, about 0.25 to about 1.5, about 0.25 to about 1.0, about 0.5 to about 1.5, or about 0.5 to about 1.0. These granularity values ​​can be measured before any coating is applied to the cover member.

[0134] Surface texture parameters include plane surface texture parameters, such as amplitude parameters, spatial parameters and hybrid parameters. Surface filtering can be used to exclude surface noise and / or surface waviness before determining surface texture parameters. In addition, segmentation techniques can be used to determine feature parameters, such as maximum diameter, minimum diameter, area and perimeter. These parameters can be calculated based on the shape of the feature projected onto a reference surface (e.g., a reference plane). The average value can be determined for a given class of surface features (e.g., a hill or valley). Surface texture parameters and methods for determining these parameters (including filtering and segmentation) are described in more detail in International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard 25178 (Product Geometric Specification (GPS)-Surface Texture: Plane). These surface texture parameters can be measured using commercially available equipment such as a roughness measurement microscope (e.g., a laser scanning confocal microscope) of Keyence or a surface measurement device (e.g., a laser interferometer) of Zygo.

[0135] For example, a surface feature (e.g., 680) of one or more surface regions of cover member 634 can be characterized in part by the height of the surface feature. The height can be measured relative to a reference surface (e.g., Figure 6) (schematically shown by line 681 in ). The height of the surface features may not be uniform, so that the surface features have a distribution of heights. In some cases, the magnitude of the height of the surface features of a surface region may fall within a range of zero to about 5 microns, zero to about 2.5 microns, zero to about 2 microns, zero to about 1.5 microns, or zero to about 1 micron. The surface features may be characterized by a root mean square height Sq or an arithmetic mean height Sa of the surface. The root mean square (RMS) height of the surface features can be from about 0.75 microns to about 5 microns, from about 1 micron to about 5 microns, greater than zero and less than about 2.5 microns, greater than zero and less than about 2 microns, greater than zero and less than about 1.5 microns, greater than zero and less than about 1 micron, from about 0.1 micron to about 2.5 microns, from about 0.1 micron to about 2 microns, from about 0.1 micron to about 1.5 microns, from about 0.1 micron to about 1.25 microns, from about 0.1 micron to about 1.0 micron, from about 0.2 micron to about 2.5 microns, from about 0.2 micron to about 2 microns, In some cases, when one textured region has a greater RMS height, it can be referred to as being coarser than another textured region.

[0136] The RMS height of another area (such as the base area) of the outer surface of the cover member may be similar to or different from the RMS height of the textured area (such as 556 or 656). For example, the RMS height of the raised area may be greater than the RMS height of the base area. For example, the RMS height of the raised area may be at least 10% and less than 150%, at least 10% and less than 100%, or at least 10% and less than 50% greater than the RMS height of the base area. In some cases, the RMS height of the base area may be less than 0.5 microns, less than 250nm, or 1nm to about 250nm. In other cases, the RMS height of the base area may be similar to the RMS height of a highly polished surface, such as about 1nm to about 150nm, about 1nm to about 125nm, about 1nm to about 100nm, about 1nm to about 75nm, about 1nm to about 50nm, about 1nm to about 25nm, or about 1nm to about 10nm.

[0137] In addition, the surface features of one or more surface areas can be characterized by lateral parameters such as the distance between peaks. The spacing between peaks may be uneven, so that there is a distribution of spacing between peaks. The average distance or spacing between peaks can be referred to as average pitch. The average pitch can be about 1 micron to about 20 microns, about 1 micron to about 15 microns, about 1 micron to about 10 microns, about 2.5 microns to about 20 microns, about 2.5 microns to about 15 microns, about 2.5 microns to about 10 microns, about 5 microns to about 40 microns, about 5 microns to about 20 microns, about 5 microns to about 15 microns, about 10 microns to about 40 microns, about 15 microns to about 40 microns, greater than 20 microns to 40 microns or about 5 microns to about 10 microns.

[0138] In some embodiments, the surface features of one or more surface regions can be configured to have a specific ratio of the average height of the peaks to the average spacing of the peaks. For example, the ratio of the RMS height to the average pitch can be about 0.01 to about 0.6, about 0.01 to about 0.3, about 0.02 to about 0.6, about 0.02 to about 0.3, about 0.03 to about 0.6, about 0.03 to about 0.3, about 0.04 to about 0.6, or about 0.04 to about 0.3.

[0139] The surface features of one or more surface regions may also be characterized by a lateral dimension. For example, a surface feature may be characterized by a maximum lateral (or linear) dimension and a minimum lateral (or linear) dimension. The surface feature may have a sufficiently small maximum lateral dimension so that the surface feature is not visually perceptible as a separate feature. In addition, the lateral dimensions and spacing of the surface features may be configured so that the cover member has a sufficiently low level of granularity.

[0140] The surface features of one or more surface regions may be characterized by a root mean square slope (Sdq) (also referred to as a root mean square gradient). In some embodiments, the root mean square slope may be greater than zero and less than about 1.25, greater than zero and less than about 1, about 0.1 to less than about 1.25, about 0.1 to less than about 1, about 0.1 to about 0.75, about 0.1 to about 0.5, about 0.2 to about 0.65, about 0.25 to less than about 1, about 0.25 to about 0.75, or about 0.1 to about 0.5, or about 0.3 to about 0.75. In some cases, the root mean square slope of the raised region is greater than the root mean square slope of the base region. For example, the root mean square slope of the raised region may be at least 10% greater and less than 60% greater than the root mean square slope of the base region.

[0141] The surface features of one or more surface regions may also be characterized by the curvature of the peaks (also referred to as peak apexes), such as by the arithmetic mean peak apex curvature S scIn some embodiments, the arithmetic mean peak curvature is greater than zero and less than about 2.0 microns, greater than zero and less than or equal to about 1.5 microns. -1 , about 0.1 micron -1 to about 2.0 microns -1 , about 0.1 micron -1 to about 1.5 microns -1 , about 0.25 microns -1 to about 2.0 microns -1 , about 0.25 microns -1 to about 1.5 microns -1 , about 0.5 microns -1 to about 2.0 microns -1 , about 0.5 microns -1 to about 1.5 microns -1 , about 0.75 microns -1 to about 2.0 microns -1 , 0.75 micron -1 to about 1.5 microns -1 or about 0.9 microns -1 to about 1.35 microns -1 In some cases, the average peak curvature of the raised regions is greater than the average peak curvature of the base regions. For example, the average peak curvature of the raised regions may be at least 10% and less than 50% greater than the average peak curvature of the base regions.

[0142] The surface features of one or more surface regions can also be characterized by an autocorrelation length. In some embodiments, the autocorrelation length is from about 1 micron to about 50 microns, from about 2 microns to about 30 microns, or from about 3 microns to about 25 microns.

[0143] As previously compared to Figure 3 As described, the coating may be disposed along the inner surface of the cover member. In some cases, the surface features of the cover member may be configured to minimize less desirable visual effects when viewing the coating through a textured region, such as textured region 656 or 758. For example, it may be preferred that the texture does not produce an undesirable amount of visual contrast variation and / or visual texture.

[0144] Figure 7 A detailed view of surface area 758 of cover member 734 is shown. This surface area may be the surface area of ​​detail area 2-2. Figure 5Surface area 758 is an example of a surface area 558 of cover member 334 or a similar textured surface area as described herein. Cover member 734 can be an example of cover member 534 or any of the various cover members described herein. The details of these cover members are applicable to cover member 734 and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity. Surface area 758 can also be similar to the surface area of ​​cover member 334 corresponding to surface area 348 of cover assembly 324 and the surface area of ​​cover member 434 corresponding to surface area 446 of cover assembly 424.

[0145] Surface region 758 includes a plurality of surface features 780. Figure 7 As shown, surface feature 780 may define one or more depressions, such as surface feature 784. Surface feature 780 may also define one or more protrusions, such as surface feature 782. The height of surface feature 780 relative to reference surface 781 is generally less than the height of surface feature 680 relative to reference surface 681, but Figure 7 The scale may be exaggerated to better illustrate the details of the textured surface area. In some cases, the textured surface area may be textured by polishing similar to Figure 6 The surface region 758 is obtained by texturing the surface region 656 .

[0146] In some cases, the root mean square height of surface region 758 may be less than 0.5 microns, less than 250 nm, 1 nm to about 250 nm, about 1 nm to about 125 nm, about 1 nm to about 100 nm, about 1 nm to about 75 nm, about 1 nm to about 50 nm, about 1 nm to about 25 nm, or about 1 nm to about 10 nm.

[0147] Figure 8 A flow chart of an example process 800 for forming a textured cover component, such as a glass cover member, a glass-ceramic cover member, or a cover member including one or more glass portions and one or more glass-ceramic portions, is shown. Figure 6 The descriptions of suitable glass materials and glass-ceramic materials provided are generally applicable to the components and cover members described herein and are not repeated here for the sake of brevity.

[0148] Process 800 includes an operation 802 of mechanically texturing the component, an operation 804 of chemically etching the component, an operation 806 of selectively polishing the component, and an operation 808 of chemically strengthening the component. In some cases, the component includes a thicker portion and a thinner portion. The thicker portion may define a raised feature and a raised surface region, and the thinner portion may define a base surface region, such as Figure 5 shown.

[0149] like Figure 8As shown, process 800 includes operation 802 of mechanically texturing the part to form a textured surface area. Typically, operation 802 involves using abrasives such as particles of cubic boron nitride, diamond or silicon carbide to remove material from the outer surface of the part. When operation 802 involves multiple mechanical processing steps, the abrasive used in the earlier step is usually coarser than the abrasive used in the later step. Operation 802 may include a grinding operation, such as a CNC grinding step using a fixed abrasive (e.g., a metal or resin bonded to a grinding tool). The textured surface area is formed along the outer surface of the part. The textured surface area may be formed on a raised surface area defined by a raised feature of the part, on a base surface area, or on both. In another example, the raised surface area and the base surface area may be textured differently during operation 802. For example, the raised surface area may be given a coarser or smoother texture than the base surface area. By way of example, after operation 802, the textured surface region of the component can have an RMS height of about 0.5 microns to about 2 microns, a pitch of about 2.5 microns to about 20 microns, and an RMS slope of about 0.5 to about 1.75. Optionally, the component can be washed after operation 802.

[0150] Process 800 also includes operation 804 of the textured surface area of ​​the component produced by operation 802 by chemical etching. Operation 804 is also referred to as etching operation in this article. Chemical etching techniques for glass and glass ceramic components may involve using suitable acid or alkali (e.g., etchants based on hydrofluoric acid) to remove parts of the component. Chemical etching may occur in liquid or gas phase. Etching techniques also include reactive ion etching, which may use a mixture of fluorine-containing compounds such as CH4, CHF3, SF6, etc. in gases such as argon or xenon. Etching treatment may etch the component to a depth sufficient to remove at least some of the small cracks or other such features formed during operation 802 of mechanically texturing the component. In addition, etching treatment may remove or reduce small cracks or other such features produced by previous machining operations (such as machining operations for forming protruding features and through holes in the component). In some cases, the etching time of glass ceramic components is longer than the etching time of glass components with similar total compositions. In some cases, after operation 804, the pitch may generally increase, and the root mean square slope may generally decrease. In other cases, the root mean square height may also increase after operation 804. By way of example, the textured surface region of the component may have a root mean square height of about 0.75 microns to 5 microns, a pitch of about 10 microns to 40 microns, and a root mean square slope of 0.1 to 0.75 after operation 804. Optionally, the component may be washed after etching process 804.

[0151] Process 800 also includes an operation 806 for selectively polishing the textured area produced by operation 804. For example, operation 808 may be a mechanical polishing operation. The polishing operation may use a loose abrasive that may be provided to a polishing pad in a slurry form. In some cases, the polishing operation may have a polishing depth (depth of the removed glass material) that is less than the full height of the surface feature produced by operation 804. In some cases, operation 806 may polish the outer surface of the base portion and the side portion of the raised feature, but not the top surface of the raised feature. Alternatively, operation 806 may polish the top surface of the raised feature, but not the base region of the component. For example, the surface of the component (such as the top surface of the raised feature) may be masked to prevent polishing of the texture on the surface. The polished surface region may have a root mean square height of less than 0.5 microns or less than 0.25 microns. Optionally, the component may be washed after operation 808.

[0152] Process 800 also includes an operation 808 of chemically strengthening the component. In some cases, operation 808 may occur after operation 806 is completed. Operation 808 may include an ion exchange operation to chemically strengthen the component. During the ion exchange operation, ions present in the glass or glass-ceramic material may be exchanged with larger ions in a region extending from the surface of the component. The ion exchange may form a compressive stress layer (or region) extending from the surface of the component, such as Fig. 9 Schematically shown in . In some cases, operation 808 includes multiple ion exchange operations that can occur sequentially or simultaneously. In some embodiments, a compressive stress layer is formed at each of the textured outer and inner surfaces of the component. A tensile stress layer can be formed between the compressive stress layers.

[0153] For example, the ion-exchangeable material of the component may include monovalent ions or divalent ions such as alkali metal ions (e.g., Li + 、Na + or K + ) or alkaline earth metal ions (e.g., Ca 2+ or Mg 2+ ), these monovalent ions or divalent ions can be exchanged for other alkali metal ions or alkaline earth metal ions. If the component includes sodium ions, the sodium ions can be exchanged for potassium ions. Similarly, if the component includes lithium ions, the lithium ions can be exchanged for sodium ions and / or potassium ions. In some embodiments, the compressive stress layer extends to a depth (or thickness) in the component that is greater than the minimum depth of the surface texture.

[0154] In one example, the chemical strengthening process involves exposing the component to a medium containing larger ions, such as by immersing the component in a bath containing larger ions, or by spraying or coating the cover member with an ion source. For example, a salt bath (e.g., a potassium nitrate bath) including the ions of interest can be used for ion exchange. The suitable temperature for ion exchange is higher than room temperature and is selected according to process requirements. The ion exchange process can be carried out at a temperature below the strain point of the glass. After the ion exchange operation, the component can be cooled. According to the factors discussed above, a compression layer of about 10 microns to 250 microns deep can be formed in the glass component. The surface compressive stress (CS) can be about 300 MPa to about 1100 MPa. A mask can be used to shield portions of the component from ion exchange as needed. Optionally, the component is washed after the ion exchange operation 808. In some cases, the component is selectively polished again after the ion exchange operation 808.

[0155] In some embodiments, process 800 may include additional operations. For example, process 800 may include an operation of machining a workpiece or blank into a desired shape before operation 802. The operation of machining a workpiece or blank may include removing material around the portion of the workpiece that is to become a raised feature. The operation of machining a workpiece or blank may also include drilling one or more holes in the component, such as a through hole extending through a portion of the component. The operation of machining a workpiece or blank may involve one or more of a computer numerical control (CNC) machining process such as a CNC milling process, a CNC grinding process, and / or a CNC drilling process. Process 800 may alternatively or additionally include one or more of a washing operation, a polishing operation, and / or a coating operation.

[0156] Fig. 9 The cover member 934 is schematically shown after a chemical strengthening operation. The cover member 934 includes a raised portion 937, a surface region 956 defining a top of the raised portion, a base portion 938, and a surface region 958. Through holes 967 and 968 extend through the cover member 934 and its raised portion 937.

[0157] like Fig. 9 As shown, compressive stress layer 994 extends from outer surface 954, and compressive stress layer 992 extends from inner surface 952 of cover member 934 (not shown to scale). Compressive stress layer 994 may therefore be referred to as an outer compressive stress layer, and compressive stress layer 992 may therefore be referred to as an inner compressive stress layer. Tensile stress layer 993 is positioned between compressive stress layer 992 and compressive stress layer 994. Fig. 9In the example of , compressive stress layer 994 has substantially the same depth as compressive stress layer 992. However, this example is not limiting, and in some cases, the depth of compressive stress layer 994 may be different from the depth of compressive stress layer 992. For example, the depth of compressive stress layer 994 may be substantially greater than the depth of compressive stress layer 992.

[0158] like Fig. 9 As shown, cover member 934 also includes a compressive stress layer 996 extending from a wall surface defining a through hole, such as wall surface 955 defining through hole 967. For example, when through hole 967 is formed prior to a chemical strengthening operation, compressive stress layer 996 may be created. Compressive stress layer 996 may have a depth substantially the same as the depth of compressive stress layer 992 or compressive stress layer 994, or may have some other depth. Cover member 934 may be Figure 5 's cover member 534 or any other cover member embodiment described herein.

[0159] For example, the depth of the compressive stress layer 994 for the glass cover member may be 75 microns to 250 microns, 100 microns to 250 microns, or 125 microns to 250 microns. In some cases, the compressive stress layer (e.g., 992, 796, or 798) may have a depth deeper than the depth of any subsurface features left by the texturing process. The depth of the compressive stress layer 992 may be the same as the depth of the compressive stress layer 994, or may be about 5 microns to about 100 microns or about 5 microns to about 50 microns.

[0160] Fig.10 A block diagram of a sample electronic device that may incorporate a textured component as described herein, such as a textured cover member, is shown. Fig.10 The schematic diagram depicted in may correspond to the above-mentioned Figures 1A to 9 However, Fig.10 Other types of electronic devices having a cover assembly as described herein may also be more generally represented.

[0161] In an embodiment, the electronic device 1000 may include a sensor 1020 to provide information about the configuration and / or orientation of the electronic device in order to control the output of the display. For example, when all or part of the visible area of ​​the display 1008 is blocked or substantially obscured, a portion of the display 1008 may be turned off, disabled, or placed in a low energy state. For another example, the display 1008 is adapted to rotate the display of the graphical output based on the orientation change (e.g., 90 degrees or 180 degrees) of the device 1000 in response to the rotation of the device 1000.

[0162] The electronic device 1000 also includes a processor 1006 operably connected to the computer-readable memory 1002. The processor 1006 may be operably connected to the memory 1002 via an electronic bus or a bridge. The processor 1006 may be implemented as one or more computer processors or microcontrollers configured to perform operations in response to computer-readable instructions. The processor 1006 may include a central processing unit (CPU) of the device 1000. In addition or alternatively, the processor 1006 may include other electronic circuits located within the device 1000, including application-specific integrated chips (ASICs) and other microcontroller devices. The processor 1006 may be configured to perform the functions described in the above examples.

[0163] The memory 1002 may include various types of non-transitory computer-readable storage media, including, for example, read access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable memory (e.g., EPROM and EEPROM), or flash memory. The memory 1002 is configured to store computer-readable instructions, sensor values, and other persistent software elements.

[0164] The electronic device 1000 may include a control circuit 1010. The control circuit 1010 may be implemented in a single control unit and need not be implemented as different circuit elements. As used herein, a "control unit" will be used synonymously with a "control circuit". The control circuit 1010 may receive signals from the processor 1006 or from other elements of the electronic device 1000.

[0165] like Fig.10 As shown, the electronic device 1000 includes a battery 1014, which is configured to provide power to the components of the electronic device 1000. The battery 1014 may include one or more power storage units connected together to provide an internal power supply. The battery 1014 can be operably coupled to a power management circuit, which is configured to provide appropriate voltage and power levels for each component or group of components within the electronic device 1000. The battery 1014 can be configured to receive power from an external power source such as an AC power outlet via the power management circuit. The battery 1014 can store the received power so that the electronic device 1000 can operate for an extended period of time without being connected to an external power source, which period of time can range from several hours to several days.

[0166] In some embodiments, the electronic device 1000 includes one or more input devices 1018. The input device 1018 is a device configured to receive input from a user or the environment. For example, the input device 1018 may include, for example, a push button, a touch-activated button, a capacitive touch sensor, a touch screen (e.g., a touch-sensitive display or a force-sensitive display), a capacitive touch button, a dial, a crown, etc. In some embodiments, the input device 1018 may provide dedicated or primary functions, including, for example, a power button, a volume button, a home button, a scroll wheel, and a camera button.

[0167] The device 1000 may also include one or more sensors or sensor modules 1020, such as force sensors, capacitive sensors, accelerometers, barometers, gyroscopes, proximity sensors, light sensors, and the like. In some cases, the device 1000 includes a sensor array (also referred to as a sensing array) that includes a plurality of sensors 1020. For example, a sensor array associated with a raised feature of a cover member may include an ambient light sensor, a lidar sensor, and a microphone. As previously described with respect to Figure 1B As discussed, one or more camera modules may also be associated with the protruding feature. Sensor 1020 is operably coupled to a processing circuit. In some embodiments, sensor 1020 may detect deformation and / or configuration changes of an electronic device and may be operably coupled to a processing circuit that controls a display based on a sensor signal. In some specific implementations, the output from sensor 1020 is used to reconfigure the display output to correspond to the orientation or folding / unfolding configuration or state of the device. Exemplary sensors 1020 for this purpose include accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and other similar types of positioning / orientation sensing devices. In addition, sensor 1020 may include a microphone, an acoustic sensor, a light sensor (including ambient light, infrared (IR) light, and ultraviolet (UV) light), an optical facial recognition sensor, a depth measurement sensor (e.g., a time-of-flight sensor), a health monitoring sensor (e.g., an electrocardiogram (erg) sensor, a heart rate sensor, a photoplethysmogram (ppg) sensor, or a pulse oximeter), a biometric sensor (e.g., a fingerprint sensor), or other types of sensing devices.

[0168] In some embodiments, the electronic device 1000 includes one or more output devices 1004 configured to provide output to a user. The output device 1004 may include a display 1008 that presents visual information generated by the processor 1006. The output device 1004 may also include one or more speakers to provide audio output. The output device 1004 may also include one or more tactile devices configured to generate tactile or tactile output along the external surface of the device 1000.

[0169] Display 1008 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an LED backlit LCD display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, an active layer organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display, an organic electroluminescent (EL) display, an electrophoretic ink display, and the like. If display 1008 is a liquid crystal display or an electrophoretic ink display, display 1008 may also include a backlight component that can be controlled to provide variable display brightness levels. If display 1008 is an organic light emitting diode or organic electroluminescent type display, the brightness of display 1008 can be controlled by modifying the electrical signals provided to the display elements. In addition, information about the configuration and / or orientation of the electronic device can be used to control the output of the display, as described with respect to input device 1018. In some cases, the display is integrated with a touch sensor and / or a force sensor to detect touch and / or force applied along an external surface of device 1000.

[0170] The electronic device 1000 may also include a communication port 1012, which is configured to transmit and / or receive signals or electrical communications from an external device or a separate device. The communication port 1012 may be configured to be coupled to an external device via a cable, an adapter, or other type of electrical connector. In some embodiments, the communication port 1012 may be used to couple the electronic device 1000 to a host computer.

[0171] The electronic device 1000 may also include at least one accessory 1016, such as a camera, a flash for a camera, or other such device. The camera may be part of a camera assembly that may be connected to other parts of the electronic device 1000, such as the control circuit 1010.

[0172] As used herein, the terms "about," "approximately," "substantially," "similar to," and the like are used to account for relatively small variations, such as variations of + / -10%, + / -5%, + / -2%, or + / -1%. In addition, the term "about" may be used with respect to an endpoint of a range to indicate a variation of + / -10%, + / -5%, + / -2%, or + / -1% of the endpoint value. Furthermore, disclosing a range in which at least one endpoint is described as "about" a particular value includes disclosing a range in which the endpoint is equal to the particular value.

[0173] As used herein, the phrase "at least one of" following a series of items of any of the items separated by the terms "and" or "or" modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member of the list. The phrase "at least one of" does not require selection of at least one of each of the listed items; rather, the phrase allows for a meaning that includes at least one of any of the items and / or at least one of any combination of the items and / or at least one of each of the items. For example, the phrases "at least one of A, B, and C" or "at least one of A, B, or C" each refer to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and / or one or more of each of A, B, and C. Furthermore, as used herein, the phrase "one or more" preceding a list of items (where the terms "and" or "or" separate the items) does not require selection of one of each of the listed items; rather, the phrase allows for a meaning that includes at least one of any of the items and / or at least one of any combination of the items and / or at least one of each of the items. Similarly, it is understood that the order in which the elements are presented for either the combined or separate lists provided herein should not be construed to limit the disclosure to only the order provided.

[0174] The following discussion applies to electronic devices described herein to the extent that these devices can be used to obtain personally identifiable information data. It is understood that the use of personally identifiable information should be subject to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized to meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly stated to users.

[0175] For the purpose of illustration, the foregoing description uses specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details are not required in order to practice the embodiments. Therefore, for the purpose of illustration and description, the foregoing description of the specific embodiments described herein is presented. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that, in view of the above teachings, many modifications and variations are possible.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising: monitor; Multiple camera modules; as well as a housing at least partially surrounding the display and the plurality of camera modules, the housing comprising: shell; a front cover assembly coupled to the housing; and A rear cover assembly coupled to the housing and comprising: base part; a feature portion that projects relative to the base portion and is at least partially surrounded by the base portion; a plurality of through holes extending through the feature, each camera module of the plurality of camera modules extending into a corresponding through hole of the plurality of through holes; and A cover member formed of a glass material and defining a textured surface region having a gloss value less than 10 gloss units measured at an angle of 60 degrees and having a root mean square slope (Sdq) of 0.1 to less than 1.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The feature defines a platform; and The textured surface region of the cover member at least partially defines the platform.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the textured surface area further has a -1 Up to 1.5 microns -1 The average peak curvature (Ssc) within the range. 4 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the textured surface region further comprises a root mean square height in a range of 0.75 microns to 5 microns.

5. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein: The textured surface region is a first surface region of the cover member; and The second surface region of the cover member has a gloss value greater than the gloss value of the first surface region.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The textured surface region of the cover member is a first surface region of the cover member; the first surface area of ​​the cover member surrounding the feature protruding from the base portion; and A second surface region of the cover member partially defines the feature and has a gloss value greater than a gloss value of the first surface region. 7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the second surface area has a gloss value greater than 90 gloss units when measured at 60 degrees.

8. An electronic device comprising: monitor; Multiple camera modules; as well as a housing at least partially surrounding the display and the plurality of camera modules, and the housing comprising: a front cover assembly, the front cover assembly comprising a front cover member positioned above the display; as well as A rear cover assembly, comprising a cover member formed by a glass material, and defining a textured surface area having a gloss value less than 20 measured at an angle of 60 degrees, wherein the surface features of the textured surface area have a root mean square slope (Sdq) in the range of 0.1 to less than 1.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein: The rear cover assembly defines a raised feature and a plurality of through holes extending through the raised feature; The textured surface region partially defines the raised features; and Each camera module of the plurality of camera modules extends into a corresponding through-hole of the plurality of through-holes.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein: The electronic device is a mobile phone; and The mobile phone also includes a charging assembly positioned below the rear cover assembly.

11. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein: the textured surface region is a first surface region of the cover member, the first surface region defining a first root mean square height; and The second surface area of ​​the cover member defines a second root mean square height that is less than the first root mean square height. 12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the first RMS height is in a range of 1 micron to 5 microns.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the textured surface area further has a -1 Up to 1.5 microns -1 The average peak curvature (Ssc) within the range of .

14. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein: The textured surface region also has an average pitch in a range of 10 microns to 40 microns, and The textured surface region has a gloss value in a range from 1 gloss unit to less than 10 gloss units.

15. A cover member for an electronic device, the cover member being formed of a glass material and defining: A textured surface region having a gloss value less than 20 measured at an angle of 60 degrees, the textured surface region comprising surface features having a root mean square slope in a range of 0.1 to less than 1; and At least one through-hole, the textured surface region defining an opening of the at least one through-hole.

16. The cover member according to claim 15, wherein: The cover member further defines a raised feature; and The at least one through hole extends through the raised feature.

17. The cover member according to claim 16, wherein: The textured surface region is a first surface region of the cover member; and The cover member also includes a second surface region of the cover member at least partially surrounding the raised feature and having a gloss value greater than a gloss value of the first surface region.

18. The cover member according to claim 15, wherein: The textured surface area has a gloss value of less than 10 gloss units; and The textured surface region has an average pitch of 10 microns to 40 microns.

19. The cover member of claim 15, wherein the cover member is formed of aluminosilicate glass.

20. The cover member according to claim 15, wherein: The cover member further defines a raised feature; and The textured surface region at least partially surrounds the raised feature.

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