Shell and shell manufacturing method

Abstract

The invention discloses a shell and a shell manufacturing method, and the shell comprises the components of a shell which is provided with a first surface; the first surface is provided with a first oxide layer and a second oxide layer, the thickness of the first oxide layer is different from that of the second oxide layer, the first oxide layer is located in a first area of the first surface, the second oxide layer is located in a second area of the first surface, and the first area is different from the second area; the first oxide layer forms a first coloring layer, the second oxide layer forms a second coloring layer, and a first visual effect of the first coloring layer is different from a second visual effect of the second coloring layer. Wherein the first coloring layer is formed by the first oxide layer of the first region and the second coloring layer is formed by the second oxide layer of the second region by performing the same coloring treatment on the first region and the second region.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of electronic devices, and particularly to a housing and a method for manufacturing the housing. Background Art

[0002] For electronic devices with metal casings such as laptops and mobile phones, in order to achieve the aesthetics of the devices, different regions of the metal casing can be made to exhibit different display effects through certain preparation processes. The preparation processes in the related art have more process steps and lower production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present application provides a housing and a method for manufacturing the housing to at least solve the above technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present application, there is provided a housing, comprising:

[0005] A housing having a first surface;

[0006] The first surface has a first oxide layer and a second oxide layer. The thickness of the first oxide layer is different from the thickness of the second oxide layer. The first oxide layer is located in a first region of the first surface, and the second oxide layer is located in a second region of the first surface. The first region is different from the second region;

[0007] The first oxide layer forms a first coloring layer, and the second oxide layer forms a second coloring layer. The first visual effect of the first coloring layer is different from the second visual effect of the second coloring layer. Wherein, by performing the same coloring treatment on the first region and the second region, the first oxide layer in the first region forms the first coloring layer, and the second oxide layer in the second region forms the second coloring layer.

[0008] In an implementable embodiment, the first region has a first resistance value under the first oxide layer, and the second region has a second resistance value under the second oxide layer. The first resistance value is different from the second resistance value;

[0009] The first visual effect of the first coloring layer and the second visual effect of the second coloring layer are obtained by performing the same coloring treatment on the first region and the second region with different resistance values.

[0010] In an implementable embodiment, the thickness of the first coloring layer formed by the first oxide layer based on the first resistance value through the same coloring treatment is different from the thickness of the second coloring layer formed by the second oxide layer based on the second resistance value through the same coloring treatment.

[0011] In one implementable embodiment, the thickness difference between the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer is [-5, 5] microns.

[0012] In one implementable embodiment, the housing is a metal housing.

[0013] According to the second aspect of the present application, a method for manufacturing a housing is provided, including:

[0014] Form a first oxide layer and a second oxide layer on a first surface of the housing, the thickness of the first oxide layer being different from the thickness of the second oxide layer, the first oxide layer being located in a first region of the first surface, the second oxide layer being located in a second region of the first surface, and the first region being different from the second region;

[0015] Perform the same coloring treatment on the first region and the second region, so that a first coloring layer formed by the first oxide layer in the first region has a first visual effect, and a second coloring layer formed by the second oxide layer in the second region has a second visual effect, and the first visual effect is different from the second visual effect.

[0016] In one implementable embodiment, the forming of the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer on the first surface of the housing includes:

[0017] Form oxide layers with the same thickness on the first region and the second region;

[0018] Perform a target treatment on the oxide layer in one of the first region and the second region, so that the thickness of the oxide layer in the one region changes, and the thickness of the oxide layer in the other region of the first region and the second region remains unchanged.

[0019] In one implementable embodiment, it further includes:

[0020] The oxide layers with the same thickness formed in the first region and the second region are of a first thickness;

[0021] Perform a target treatment on the oxide layer in the one region, so that the oxide layer in the one region changes from the first thickness to a second thickness; wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.

[0022] In one implementable embodiment, it further includes:

[0023] Perform pattern engraving on the one region, so that the thickness of the oxide layer in the one region with the engraved pattern changes from the first thickness to the second thickness.

[0024] In one implementable embodiment, the first region has a first resistance value under the first oxide layer, and the second region has a second resistance value under the second oxide layer, and the first resistance value is different from the second resistance value;

[0025] Performing the same coloring process on the first region and the second region includes:

[0026] Performing the same coloring process on the first region and the second region with different resistance values, so that the first visual effect of the first coloring layer formed by the first oxide layer of the first region is different from the second visual effect of the second coloring layer formed by the second oxide layer of the second region.

[0027] In an implementable embodiment, performing the same coloring process on the first region and the second region with different resistance values, so that the thickness of the first coloring layer generated by the first oxide layer based on the first resistance value is different from the thickness of the second coloring layer generated by the second oxide layer based on the second resistance value; wherein, the first visual effect is obtained through the thickness of the first coloring layer, and the second visual effect is obtained through the thickness of the second coloring layer.

[0028] It should be understood that the content described in this part is not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present application, nor is it used to limit the scope of the present application. Other features of the present application will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] By referring to the accompanying drawings and reading the following detailed description, the above and other objects, features, and advantages of the exemplary embodiments of the present application will become easily understood. In the drawings, several embodiments of the present application are shown in an exemplary rather than restrictive manner, where:

[0030] In the drawings, the same or corresponding reference numerals represent the same or corresponding parts.

[0031] Figure 1 Shows a schematic diagram of an electronic device in an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 2 Shows a schematic diagram of the implementation process of a method for manufacturing a housing in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 3 Shows a schematic diagram of a first surface in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 4 Shows a schematic diagram of the division of a first region and a second region on the surface of a housing in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 5 Shows a schematic diagram of oxide layers with different thicknesses formed in two regions on the surface of a housing in an embodiment of the present application Figure 1 ;

[0036] Figure 6 Shows a schematic diagram of the composition of a housing in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 7 Shows a schematic diagram of the overall oxidation of the surface of the housing in the embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 8 Shows a schematic diagram of the formation of oxide layers with different thicknesses in two regions on the surface of the housing in the embodiment of the present application Figure 2 ;

[0039] Figure 9 Shows the non-color-separated effect diagrams of two regions in the embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 10 Shows the color-separated effect diagrams of two regions in the embodiment of the present application. Detailed implementation manners

[0041] To make the objectives, features, and advantages of the present application more obvious and understandable, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The described embodiments should not be regarded as limitations on the present application. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

[0043] In the following description, "some embodiments" are involved, which describe a subset of all possible embodiments. However, it can be understood that "some embodiments" can be the same subset or different subsets of all possible embodiments, and can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0044] In the following description, the terms "first / second" involved are only used to distinguish similar objects, and do not represent a specific order for the objects. It can be understood that "first / second" can be interchanged with a specific order or sequence when permitted, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein.

[0045] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field to which the present application belongs. The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing the embodiments of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0046] It should be understood that in various embodiments of the present application, the magnitudes of the serial numbers of the various implementation processes do not imply the order of execution. The order of execution of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not impose any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0047] In the present application, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", "horizontal", "vertical", "top", "bottom", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for clearly describing the present application, rather than indicating that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present application.

[0048] Embodiments of the present application provide an electronic device. The electronic device can be a laptop, a tablet computer, a smart phone, etc. As Figure 1 shown, the electronic device can be a laptop.

[0049] In the present application, the electronic device includes a housing 10, and the housing 10 can be used to accommodate the internal components of the electronic device, such as a display screen, a main board, and a battery. The housing 10 can form the external contour of the electronic device. For Figure 1 the electronic device shown, the housing 10 can be one of the A shell, B shell, C shell, and D shell of the laptop. Generally, considering that the housing 10 of the embodiments of the present application can reflect the aesthetics of the laptop, it can be the shell that can be seen by the user in the computer. For example, the housing 10 is the A shell or D shell of the laptop, and preferably the A shell.

[0050] The housing 10 can be a housing made of a metal material, that is, a metal housing. For example, the housing 10 is a housing made of aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy. The housing 10 has a first surface 101, and the first surface 101 can be the outer surface of the housing 10 and can be the surface visible to the user.

[0051] The first surface 101 includes a first region 102 and a second region 103. The first region 102 and the second region 103 are two different regions of the first surface 101. The first surface 101 can be divided into multiple regions. The first region 102 and the second region 103 can be any two regions among the multiple regions. For example, the first region 102 and the second region 103 can be two adjacent regions among the multiple regions. The first region 102 and the third region 103 can be two non-adjacent and independent regions among the multiple regions. The first surface 101 can also be divided into the two regions of the first region 102 and the second region 103. That is, the first region 102 and the second region 103 constitute the entire surface of the housing 10. As Figure 9 shown is the case where the first surface 101 is divided into two regions. If the first surface 101 is regarded as the housing surface of the housing 10, thenFigure 9 Taking the division of the surface of the housing into two regularly shaped upper and lower regions as an example, in addition, the surface of the housing can also be divided into two regularly shaped left and right regions. Of course, the surface of the housing can also be divided into two regions with an irregular shape, without specific limitation.

[0052] In this application, the first surface 101 of the housing 10 has a first oxide layer 11 and a second oxide layer 12. The thickness of the first oxide layer 11 is different from the thickness of the second oxide layer 12. The first oxide layer 11 is located in the first region 102 of the first surface 101. The second oxide layer 12 is located in the second region 103 of the first surface 101. That is, the oxide layers (the first oxide layer 11 and the second oxide layer 12) formed in the two regions of the first surface 101 have different thicknesses. The thickness of the oxide layer can refer to the height difference formed by the height at which the surface of the oxide layer is located and the height at which the surface of the housing is located.

[0053] In an embodiment of this application, the oxidation processes can be respectively performed on the two regions, and by controlling the oxidation duration of each oxidation process, oxide layers with different thicknesses are formed in the two regions. Among them, the oxidation process can be any reasonable oxidation process, such as micro-arc oxidation process, gas-phase oxidation, liquid-phase oxidation, etc.

[0054] In an embodiment of this application, it is also possible to first perform an oxidation process on the entire surface of the housing so that an oxide layer is formed on the first surface 101 of the housing. Since the surface of the housing can be flat without a sense of height undulation, after the aforementioned process, the oxide layer formed on its entire surface has the same thickness in the first region 102 and the second region 103. Generally speaking, through the micro-arc oxidation process on the entire surface of the housing, the first region 102 and the second region 103 form oxide layers with the same thickness.

[0055] Then, target treatment is performed on the oxide layer in one of the two regions with the same oxide layer thickness, so that the thickness of the oxide layer in this one region changes, while the thickness of the oxide layer in the other region of the two regions remains unchanged, thereby forming oxide layers with different thicknesses in the first region 102 and the second region 103.

[0056] For example, target processes such as etching and corrosion can be performed on the oxide layer in one of the two regions with the same oxide layer thickness to achieve the effect of reducing the thickness of the oxide layer in this region. Keep the thickness of the oxide layer in the other region unchanged, so that there is a thickness difference between the oxide layers in the two regions.

[0057] For example, it is also possible to perform a target process such as laser engraving or radium engraving on one of the two regions with the same oxide layer thickness, so that a pattern is engraved on the region in a thickness that can be removed, thereby reducing the thickness of the oxide layer in this region and keeping the thickness of the oxide layer in the other region unchanged.

[0058] Regarding the thickness of the oxide layer formed on the surface of the housing, both of the above two implementation methods belong to the situation where the thickness of the oxide layer in one of the regions is reduced and the thickness of the oxide layer in the other region remains unchanged, so that there is a thickness difference between the oxide layers in the two regions.

[0059] For example, it is also possible to continue to perform an oxidation process such as micro-arc oxidation on the oxide layer in one of the two regions with the same oxide layer thickness to achieve the effect of increasing the thickness of the oxide layer in this region. Keep the thickness of the oxide layer in the other region unchanged. In this way, the first region 102 and the second region 103 can be formed with oxide layers of different thicknesses. Regarding the thickness of the oxide layer formed on the surface of the housing, this implementation method belongs to the situation where the thickness of the oxide layer in one of the regions is increased and the thickness of the oxide layer in the other region remains unchanged, so that there is a thickness difference between the oxide layers in the two regions.

[0060] The above several solutions for creating a thickness difference between the oxide layers in the two regions are easy to implement and greatly facilitate the subsequent single coloring process. The above description mentions several solutions for creating a thickness difference between the oxide layers in the two regions. Any other means that can create a thickness difference between the oxide layers in the two regions are within the scope of this application.

[0061] Generally, the thickness of the housing 10 can be several millimeters or dozens of millimeters, and the thickness of the oxide layer can be several micrometers or more than a dozen micrometers. Compared with the thickness of the housing 10, the thicknesses of the first oxide layer 11 and the second oxide layer 12 can be very thin. The difference in the thicknesses of the first oxide layer 11 and the second oxide layer 12 can be manifested as: the bottom surfaces of the first oxide layer 11 and the second oxide layer 12 can be at the same height, and there can be a height difference between the top surfaces of the first oxide layer 11 and the second oxide layer 12, such as a height difference of [-5, 5] micrometers. Among them, the bottom surface of the oxide layer can be the contact surface between the oxide layer and the housing 10, and the top surface can be the surface opposite to the bottom surface of the oxide layer.

[0062] In this application, the thickness difference between the first oxide layer 11 and the second oxide layer 12 can be [-5, 5] microns. For the constraint that the thickness difference between the two oxide layers can be within the aforementioned values, the inventor found during the research on this solution that when the thickness difference between the two oxide layers is within ±5 microns, the difference in the visual effects of the two coloring layers formed on the two oxide layers can meet the actual requirements of the product. For example, if the thick oxide layer in the two oxide layers is 10um and the thin oxide layer is 5um, that is, the thickness difference between the two is 5um, which can meet the requirements for color separation of the product.

[0063] Among them, meeting the requirements for color separation of the product can be: taking the general attention and cognition of those of ordinary skill in the art as the standard, the visual effects of the two coloring layers are different in terms of visual effects.

[0064] In the case where the housing 10 is a metal housing, the oxide layer formed on the first surface 101 can be regarded as the insulating layer of the metal housing, which can protect the housing 40 from oxidation during use and extend the service life of the housing 10.

[0065] In an embodiment of this application, the first oxide layer 11 forms the first coloring layer 13, and the second oxide layer 12 forms the second coloring layer 14. The first visual effect of the first coloring layer 13 is different from the second visual effect of the second coloring layer 14. Among them, by performing the same coloring treatment on the first region 102 and the second region 103, the first oxide layer 11 in the first region 102 forms the first coloring layer 13, and the second oxide layer 12 in the second region 103 forms the second coloring layer 14.

[0066] In this application, by performing coloring treatment on the two regions formed with oxide layers, the first oxide layer 11 in the first region 102 can form the first coloring layer 13, and the second oxide layer 12 in the second region 103 can form the second coloring layer 14. Compared with the thickness of the housing 10 being several millimeters or dozens of millimeters, the thicknesses of the first coloring layer 13 and the second coloring layer 14 can be very thin, such as several microns or more than ten microns. Among them, the thickness of the coloring layer can be the height difference between the height where the surface of the coloring layer is located and the height where the surface of the oxide layer is located. The coloring treatment can be any reasonable coloring process, such as vapor deposition, liquid deposition, etc. Among them, liquid deposition includes cathodic electrophoretic coating process (CED).

[0067] In the case where the housing 10 is a metal housing, the oxide layer formed by oxidizing the surface of the metal housing can be regarded as an insulating layer of the metal housing, and this insulating layer has a certain resistance value. Since the thicknesses of the oxide layers formed in the two regions are different, the oxide layers with different thicknesses can make the two regions have different resistance values. For example, the first region 102 has a first resistance value under the first oxide layer 11, and the second region 103 has a second resistance value under the second oxide layer 12, and the first resistance value is different from the second resistance value. In this application, the resistance value can be a few tenths of an ohm, a few ohms, a dozen or so ohms, dozens of ohms, etc., depending on the specific situation. Generally, the thicker the insulating layer of the metal housing, the greater the resistance value. The thinner the insulating layer of the metal housing, the smaller the resistance value. In this application, due to the different thicknesses of the oxide layers in the two regions, the thicknesses of the two insulating layers formed on the metal housing are different, so the resistance values of the two regions are also different, and there is a resistance difference between the two regions. The two different resistance values can be different orders of magnitude of the two resistance values. For example, one resistance value is a few ohms, and the other resistance value is dozens of ohms or a dozen or so ohms. The two different resistance values can be the same order of magnitude of the resistance values, but there are differences in the values. For example, the resistance value of the region with a thick insulating layer is 0.1 ohm, and the resistance value of the region with a thin insulating layer is 0.9 ohm. In this application, based on the resistance difference between the two regions, the color separation effect of the housing can be achieved.

[0068] In this application, the coloring treatment performed on the two regions formed with oxide layers can be the same coloring treatment for the two regions with different resistance values. Since the thicknesses of the oxide layers in the two regions are different, the resistance values of the two regions are different, and the adsorption capacities of the coloring liquids used in the same coloring treatment process for the two regions with different resistance values are different. Specifically, in the region with a small resistance value, since the oxide layer separating the metal housing and the coloring liquid is thin, the adsorption capacity for the coloring liquid is strong. In the region with a large resistance value, since the oxide layer separating the metal housing and the coloring liquid is thick, the adsorption capacity for the coloring liquid is weak. In the scenario where there is a strong or weak adsorption capacity for the coloring liquid, the region with a strong adsorption capacity for the coloring liquid shows the color of the coloring liquid deeply, and the region with a weak adsorption capacity for the coloring liquid shows the color of the coloring liquid lightly, so that the visual effects of the two coloring layers formed by the oxide layers in the two regions are different. If the first coloring layer 13 formed by the first oxide layer 11 in the first region 102 has a first visual effect, and the second coloring layer 14 formed by the second oxide layer 12 in the second region 103 has a second visual effect, then the first visual effect is different from the second visual effect. Generally speaking, the visual effects of the two coloring layers are different mainly because: the first visual effect of the first coloring layer 13 and the second visual effect of the second coloring layer 14 are obtained by performing the same coloring treatment on the first region 102 and the second region 103 with different resistances.

[0069] In the present application, the difference in visual effects can be understood as at least one of the following differences: differences in display color, display pattern, shape of the display pattern, etc. It is preferably a difference in display color. The difference in display color may refer to a difference in the display depth of the same color or the display of different colors. If the coloring liquid is a pure color, the difference in visual effects may be a difference in the display depth of the pure color.

[0070] In the present application, by performing the same coloring process on two regions with different resistances, two colored layers with different visual effects can be obtained without going through multiple coloring processes, thus avoiding the problem of low production process efficiency caused by multiple processes. Through such a small number of process steps as the same coloring process, two colored layers with different visual effects can be obtained, which can greatly simplify the process steps and improve the process efficiency.

[0071] It can be understood that for a region with a weak adsorption ability for the coloring liquid, due to its weak adsorption ability, the thickness of the colored layer formed on the oxide layer in this region is thin. For a region with a strong adsorption ability for the coloring liquid, due to its strong adsorption ability, the thickness of the colored layer formed on the oxide layer in this region is thick. Based on this, the oxide layers in the two regions generate colored layers with different thicknesses through the same coloring process based on different resistance values. The thick colored layer shows the color of the electrophoretic paint deeply, and the thin colored layer shows the color of the electrophoretic paint lightly. That is, the thickness of the first colored layer 13 generated by the first oxide layer 11 through the same coloring process based on the first resistance value is different from the thickness of the second colored layer 14 generated by the second oxide layer 12 through the same coloring process based on the second resistance value.

[0072] In the present application, based on different resistance values, the same coloring process can be performed on two regions. For example, the housing 10 with different resistance values in two regions is placed into the electrophoretic paint liquid so that the two regions are attached to the electrophoretic paint liquid and show the color of the electrophoretic paint. Thus, through the same coloring process, color separation of the housing 10 can be achieved. There is no need for the complex process of separately coloring the two regions. Based on the same coloring process for oxide layers with different thicknesses, colored layers with different thicknesses are formed, thereby achieving the color separation effect of the housing 10. The process production is not complicated and has fewer steps, which can greatly improve the production efficiency.

[0073] The same coloring process in this application can be: using the cathodic electrophoretic coating process (CED) to perform the same coloring process on the first region 102 and the second region 103. The coloring liquid can be the electrophoretic paint of CED. The electrophoretic paint of CED can be a semi-transparent paint with a certain color. The color can be a pure color or a mixed color of multiple colors. The first visual effect of the first coloring layer 13 and the second visual effect of the second coloring layer 14 both present the color of the electrophoretic paint. The difference is that: among the two coloring layers, the coloring layer with a thicker thickness is the coloring layer that adsorbs more electrophoretic paint. The more paint is adsorbed, the darker the color. The coloring layer with a thinner thickness is the coloring layer that adsorbs less electrophoretic paint. The less paint is adsorbed, the lighter the color. Thus, it can be considered that: among the two coloring layers, the visual effect of the coloring layer with a thicker thickness is more significant than that of the coloring layer with a thinner thickness. If the difference in visual effect is described by the depth of color, the color presented by the coloring layer with a thicker thickness is darker than or more significant than the color presented by the coloring layer with a thinner thickness, so that the housing 10 is a housing including two regions with different depths of color. For example, among the two coloring layers, the thickness of the coloring layer with a thicker thickness can be 15 microns, and the thickness of the coloring layer with a thinner thickness can be 9 microns. The coloring layer with a thickness of 15 microns shows a darker color of the electrophoretic paint, and the coloring layer with a thickness of 9 microns shows a lighter color of the electrophoretic paint, forming a sharp contrast in the depth of display of the same color.

[0074] Among them, the same coloring process can be a single coloring process. By using a single coloring process with fewer process steps for coloring, the color separation effect of the housing 10 can be obtained, and the production efficiency is high.

[0075] From the user's perspective, the two regions of the housing 10 form different visual effects, realizing the color separation effect of the housing 10 and improving the aesthetics of the housing 10.

[0076] In this application, the color separation effect of the housing 10 is obtained by forming oxide layers with different thicknesses in two different regions of the housing 10 and performing the same coloring process on the oxide layers with different thicknesses. The manufacturing process steps of this color separation effect are few, which can effectively improve the efficiency of the manufacturing process for the aesthetics of the housing.

[0077] The embodiment of this application also provides a method for manufacturing a housing. This method for manufacturing a housing can be applied to the aforementioned housing 10. By forming oxide layers with different thicknesses in two different regions of the housing 10 and performing the same coloring process on the oxide layers with different thicknesses, a housing with a color separation effect in terms of aesthetics can be obtained. This manufacturing method is easy to implement, has few process steps, and can improve the manufacturing efficiency of the housing.

[0078] Figure 2 It is a schematic flowchart of the implementation process of the method for manufacturing a housing in the embodiment of this application. Combined with Figure 1 the shown housing 10, as Figure 2As shown, the method for manufacturing the housing in the embodiments of the present application includes:

[0079] S201: Form a first oxide layer 11 and a second oxide layer 12 on the first surface 101 of the housing 10. The thickness of the first oxide layer 11 is different from that of the second oxide layer 12. The first oxide layer 11 is located in the first region 102 of the first surface 101, and the second oxide layer 12 is located in the second region 103 of the first surface 101. The first region 102 is different from the second region 103.

[0080] In the present application, as Figure 3 shown in the side view of the housing 10, the first surface 101 of the housing 10 is the outer surface of the housing 10 and is the surface visible to the user. The first surface 101 can be divided into two or more regions. If the first surface 101 is divided into two regions, the first region 102 and the second region 103 constitute the entire housing surface of the housing 10. If the first surface 101 is divided into multiple regions, the first region 102 and the second region 103 can be any two of the multiple regions.

[0081] As Figures 4 to 8 shown, taking the example that the first surface 101 of the housing 10 is divided into two parts, namely the first region 102 and the second region 103. The areas of the first region 102 and the second region 103 can be equal or unequal, and the sum of the areas of the two regions constitutes the entire surface area of the housing 10.

[0082] In an embodiment of the present application, the first region 102 and the second region 103 can be subjected to an oxidation process, so that oxide layers are formed on the two regions respectively. As Figure 5 shown, taking the example that the thickness of the first oxide layer 11 formed on the first region 102 is thicker than the thickness of the second oxide layer 12 formed on the second region 103, that is, the thickness of the first oxide layer 11 is thick and the thickness of the second oxide layer 12 is thin. Among them, the oxidation process can be any reasonable oxidation process, such as micro-arc oxidation process, gas-phase oxidation, liquid-phase oxidation, etc.

[0083] In an embodiment of the present application, the two regions can be respectively subjected to an oxidation process such as a micro-arc oxidation process. By controlling the oxidation duration of the respective micro-arc oxidation processes, oxide layers with different thicknesses are formed on the two regions. The thickness difference between the first oxide layer 11 and the second oxide layer 12 can be [-5, 5] microns to facilitate the same coloring treatment.

[0084] S202: Perform the same coloring process on the first region 102 and the second region 103, so that the first coloring layer 13 formed by the first oxide layer 11 in the first region 102 has a first visual effect, and the second coloring layer 14 formed by the second oxide layer 12 in the second region 103 has a second visual effect, where the first visual effect and the second visual effect are different.

[0085] In this application, the coloring process can be any reasonable coloring process, such as vapor deposition, liquid deposition, etc. Among them, liquid deposition includes cathodic electrophoretic coating process (CED).

[0086] For example, the cathodic electrophoretic coating process (CED) can be used to perform the same coloring process on the first region 102 and the second region 103. After the treatment of CED, respective coloring layers can be formed on the oxide layers of the two regions. As Figure 6 shown, a first coloring layer 13 is formed on the first oxide layer 11, and a second coloring layer 14 is formed on the second oxide layer 12. Since the thicknesses of the two oxide layers are different, the adsorption capacities for the electrophoretic paint of CED are different, so the thicknesses of the two coloring layers are different. As Figure 6 shown, the first oxide layer 11 is thick and the second oxide layer 12 is thin. The thickness of the first coloring layer 13 formed on the first oxide layer 11 is thin, and the thickness of the second coloring layer 14 formed on the second oxide layer 12 is thick. The two coloring layers are visually presented as two different visual effects. For example, the colors shown by the two coloring layers are different in depth. Since the same coloring process is adopted and the same electrophoretic paint is used, the thick coloring layer shows the color of the electrophoretic paint deeply, and the thin coloring layer shows the color of the electrophoretic paint lightly, achieving the aesthetic effect of color separation of the housing.

[0087] On the basis that respective coloring layers are formed on the oxide layers of the two regions, the surfaces of the two regions can be at the same height, without the tactile feeling of undulation. Or they can be not at the same height, with the tactile feeling of undulation, giving users good tactile and visual experiences. For example, on the basis of forming respective coloring layers, the surface of the region with a thin oxide layer can be higher than the surface of the region with a thick oxide layer. If a pattern is engraved on the region with a thin oxide layer, the user can feel the pattern through the tactile feeling of undulation and / or view the device housing with enhanced color separation. This adds a good experience for users to the aesthetic property of the color separation of the housing.

[0088] In S201 - S202, by forming oxide layers with different thicknesses in two different regions of the housing 10 and performing the same coloring process on the oxide layers with different thicknesses, a housing with a color separation effect in terms of aesthetics is obtained. This manufacturing method is easy to implement, has few process steps, and can improve the manufacturing efficiency of the housing.

[0089] In this application, different thickness oxide layers can also be formed in two regions by the following method. Combine Figures 7 - 8 As shown, first, the entire surface of the housing is subjected to an oxidation process treatment so that the first surface 101 forms Figure 7 the oxide layer 15 shown. Since the surface of the housing can be flat without a feeling of unevenness, after the aforementioned process treatment, the thickness of the oxide layer 15 formed on its surface is the same in the first region 102 and the second region 103. Generally speaking, through the oxidation process treatment of the entire first surface 101, oxide layers with the same thickness are formed in the first region 102 and the second region 103. The oxide layer 15 formed on the entire first surface 101 is the first oxide layer 11 in the first region 102 and the second oxide layer 12 in the second region 103. The thickness of the oxide layer 15 on the entire surface of the housing can be [13, 10] microns.

[0090] Next, target treatment is performed on the oxide layer in one of the two regions with the same oxide layer thickness so that the thickness of the oxide layer in this one region changes, while maintaining the thickness of the oxide layer in the other region of the two regions unchanged, thereby making the oxide layer thicknesses in the two regions different.

[0091] For example, target treatment such as etching and corrosion can be performed on the second oxide layer 12 in the second region 103 of the two regions to achieve the effect of reducing the thickness of the second oxide layer 12, as Figure 8 shown. The thickness of the first oxide layer 11 in the first region 102 is maintained unchanged, thereby obtaining a second oxide layer 12 with a height difference or thickness difference relative to the height or thickness of the first oxide layer 11, as shown by the height difference or thickness difference indicated by the reference numeral 16 in Figure 8 Assume that the oxide layers with the same thickness formed in the first region 102 and the second region 103 are the first thickness. Then this situation belongs to the case where the second oxide layer 12 in the second region 103 is subjected to target treatment so that the second oxide layer 12 changes from the first thickness to the second thickness, and the first thickness is greater than the second thickness. Among them, the second thickness can be the thickness of the oxide layer obtained on the surface of the second region 103 after the second oxide layer 12 in the second region 103 is subjected to target treatment such as etching and corrosion. The first thickness can be the thickness of the oxide layer 15.

[0092] For example, target treatment such as laser engraving or radium engraving, which is a carving process, can also be performed on the second oxide layer 12 in the second region 103 so that the second oxide layer 12 is engraved with a pattern in the thickness that can be removed, thereby making the second oxide layer 12 change from the first thickness to the second thickness that is less than the first thickness. This situation belongs to the scheme of performing pattern engraving on one of the two regions by using the carving process so that the thickness of the oxide layer in this one region with the engraved pattern changes from the first thickness to the second thickness.

[0093] For example, it is also possible to perform the target treatment of the micro-arc oxidation process on the oxide layer of one of the two regions with the same oxide layer thickness, such as the oxide layer of the first region 102, to achieve the effect of increasing the thickness of the oxide layer in this region. The thickness of the second oxide layer 12 in the second region 103 is maintained unchanged. In this way, the first region 102 and the second region 103 can be formed with oxide layers having different thicknesses. This situation belongs to the situation where the first oxide layer 11 in the first region 102 is subjected to the target treatment, so that the first oxide layer 11 changes from the first thickness to the third thickness, and the third thickness is greater than the first thickness. Among them, the first thickness can be the thickness of the oxide layer 15. The third thickness can be the thickness of the oxide layer formed on the surface of the first region 102 after continuously performing the micro-arc oxidation process on the first region 102 on the basis of the oxide layer 15.

[0094] The above several solutions for making the oxide layers in the two regions have a thickness difference are easy to implement and greatly facilitate the subsequent same coloring treatment.

[0095] The following is an explanatory description of the solution in the present application that the same coloring treatment of oxide layers with different thicknesses can obtain different color separation effects of the housing.

[0096] When the housing 10 is a metal housing, the oxide layer formed by oxidizing the surface of the metal housing can be regarded as an insulating layer of the metal housing, and this insulating layer has a certain resistance value. Because the oxide layers formed in the two regions have different thicknesses, the oxide layers with different thicknesses can make the two regions have different resistance values. For example, the first region 102 has a first resistance value under the first oxide layer 11, and the second region 103 has a second resistance value under the second oxide layer 12, and the first resistance value is different from the second resistance value. In the present application, the resistance value can be a few tenths of an ohm, a few ohms, a dozen ohms, dozens of ohms, etc., depending on the specific situation. Generally, the thicker the insulating layer of the metal housing, the greater the resistance value. The thinner the insulating layer of the metal housing, the smaller the resistance value. In the present application, due to the different thicknesses of the oxide layers in the two regions, the thicknesses of the two insulating layers formed on the metal housing are different, so the resistance values of the two regions are also different, and there is a resistance difference between the two regions. The two resistance values being different can be that the orders of magnitude of the two resistance values are different. For example, one resistance value is a few ohms, and the other resistance value is dozens of ohms or a dozen ohms. The two resistance values being different can be that the orders of magnitude of the resistance values are the same, but the values are different. For example, the resistance value of the region with a thick insulating layer is 0.1 ohm, and the resistance value of the region with a thin insulating layer is 0.9 ohm. In the present application, the color separation effect of the housing can be achieved based on the resistance difference between the two regions.

[0097] In the present application, the coloring treatment performed on two regions formed with an oxide layer can be the same coloring treatment on two regions having different resistance values. Since the oxide layer thicknesses of the two regions are different, the resistance values of the two regions are different, and different resistance values have different adsorption capacities for the coloring liquid used in the coloring treatment process. Specifically, in the region with a small resistance value, since the oxide layer separating the metal housing and the coloring liquid is thin, the adsorption capacity for the coloring liquid is strong. In the region with a large resistance value, since the oxide layer separating the metal housing and the coloring liquid is thick, the adsorption capacity for the coloring liquid is weak. The difference in the adsorption capacity for the coloring liquid results in a strong adsorption capacity for the coloring liquid showing a darker color of the coloring liquid, and a weak adsorption capacity for the coloring liquid showing a lighter color of the coloring liquid, thereby making the visual effects of the two coloring layers formed on the oxide layers of the two regions different. That is, the first coloring layer 13 formed on the first oxide layer 11 of the first region 102 has a first visual effect, which is different from the second visual effect of the second coloring layer 14 formed on the second oxide layer 12 of the second region 103. Based on this, in the present application, by performing the same coloring treatment on the first region 102 and the second region 103 having different resistances, the first visual effect of the first coloring layer 13 formed on the first oxide layer 11 of the first region 102 can be made different from the second visual effect of the second coloring layer 14 formed on the second oxide layer 12 of the second region 103.

[0098] In the present application, based on different resistance values, the same coloring treatment can be performed on two regions. For example, the housing 10 with different resistance values in the two regions is placed into the electrophoretic paint liquid so that the two regions are attached to the electrophoretic paint liquid and are shown as the color of the electrophoretic paint. Thus, by using the same coloring treatment, the color separation of the housing 10 can be achieved. There is no need for the complex process of separately coloring the two regions. Based on the same coloring treatment for oxide layers with different thicknesses, coloring layers with different thicknesses are formed, thereby achieving the color separation effect of the housing 10. The process production is not complicated and has fewer steps, which can greatly improve the production efficiency.

[0099] In the present application, performing the same coloring treatment on the first region 102 and the second region 103 having different resistance values can make the thickness of the first coloring layer 13 generated by the first oxide layer 11 based on the first resistance value different from the thickness of the second coloring layer 14 generated by the second oxide layer 12 based on the second resistance value; wherein, the first visual effect is obtained through the thickness of the first coloring layer 13, and the second visual effect is obtained through the thickness of the second coloring layer 14.

[0100] It can be understood that in the area with weak adsorption capacity for the coloring liquid, due to its weak adsorption capacity, the thickness of the coloring layer formed on the oxide layer in this area is thin. In the area with strong adsorption capacity for the coloring liquid, due to its strong adsorption capacity, the thickness of the coloring layer formed on the oxide layer in this area is thick. The thick coloring layer shows a deep color for the electrophoretic paint, and the thin coloring layer shows a light color for the electrophoretic paint, thus achieving the color separation effect of the housing 10.

[0101] Generally speaking, in this application, the thick coloring layer is formed in the area with a thin oxide layer thickness, showing a deep color for the electrophoretic paint, and the thin coloring layer is formed in the area with a thick oxide layer thickness, showing a light color for the electrophoretic paint. If a pattern is engraved in the area with a thin oxide layer thickness, the pattern will be displayed in a dark color to further expand the color separation degree between the two areas.

[0102] In this application, the same coloring treatment can be a single coloring treatment. By performing the same single coloring treatment on two areas with different oxide layer thicknesses, the color separation effect of the housing can be obtained, which can greatly reduce the color separation process and steps and improve the production efficiency.

[0103] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram for dividing the surface area of the housing. Figure 10 It can be the color separation effect diagram presented when the housing 10 undergoes the aforementioned housing manufacturing method. Figure 9 and Figure 10 is the top view of the housing 10. In Figure 9 , if the areas occupied by the first area 102 and the second area 103 on the entire surface of the housing 10 are equal, that is, the surface of the housing is bisected, then the final color separation effect can be that the areas with a thin oxide layer thickness in the first area 102 and the second area 103 show a deep color, and the areas with a thick oxide layer thickness show a light color, as shown in Figure 10 .

[0104] Figure 10 The color separation effect diagram shown in

[0105] In this application, due to the different thicknesses of the oxide layers in the two regions, different resistance differences are brought to the two regions. The method for manufacturing the housing of this application can be considered as a method for manufacturing a housing of a color separation process based on the resistance difference. The housing of this application can be considered as a housing manufactured by a color separation process based on the resistance difference. Based on the resistance difference, the color separation effect of the housing can be achieved by using a single CED process. The purpose of reducing the processing cost and improving the production yield can be achieved.

[0106] The technical solution of this application makes it possible for the metal housing to achieve the color separation effect by using a single CED process, which is a relatively small number of CED processes. It provides a technical support for the solution to enable the metal housing to achieve color separation display with fewer process steps.

[0107] In this application, for metal housings such as magnesium alloy and aluminum alloy, by forming oxide layers with different thicknesses on two different regions of the housing and performing the same coloring treatment on the oxide layers with different thicknesses, a device housing with a color separation effect can be obtained. This manufacturing process for the metal housing is a novel process. While achieving the color separation effect, since the color separation effect can be obtained by only performing the same coloring treatment once, the color separation steps are simplified, the manufacturing cost is reduced, and the problem of low production yield caused by too many processes or steps is avoided, and the production yield of the housing can be effectively improved.

[0108] It should be noted that the method for manufacturing the housing and the description of the housing in the embodiments of this application have similar beneficial effects. For the content not detailed in the method for manufacturing the housing, reference can be made to the understanding of the description of the housing, and for the content not detailed in the housing, reference can be made to the understanding of the method for manufacturing the housing, which will not be elaborated.

Claims

1. A housing, comprising: a housing having a first surface; The first surface has a first oxide layer and a second oxide layer, the thickness of the first oxide layer is different from the thickness of the second oxide layer, the first oxide layer is located in a first area of ​​the first surface, the second oxide layer is located in a second area of ​​the first surface, and the first area is different from the second area; The first oxide layer forms a first coloring layer, and the second oxide layer forms a second coloring layer. The first coloring layer has a first visual effect that is different from the second visual effect of the second coloring layer. The first oxide layer of the first region forms the first coloring layer, and the second oxide layer of the second region forms the second coloring layer by performing the same coloring treatment on the first region and the second region.

2. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the first region has a first resistance value under the first oxide layer, the second region has a second resistance value under the second oxide layer, and the first resistance value is different from the second resistance value; The first visual effect of the first coloring layer and the second visual effect of the second coloring layer are obtained by performing the same coloring process on the first region and the second region having different resistance values.

3. The housing according to claim 2, The thickness of the first oxide layer generated by the same coloring process based on the first resistance value is different from the thickness of the second oxide layer generated by the same coloring process based on the second resistance value. 4 . The shell according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness difference between the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer is [−5,5] μm.

5. A method for manufacturing a shell, comprising: forming a first oxide layer and a second oxide layer on a first surface of the shell, wherein the thickness of the first oxide layer is different from the thickness of the second oxide layer, the first oxide layer is located in a first area of ​​the first surface, and the second oxide layer is located in a second area of ​​the first surface, and the first area is different from the second area; The first region and the second region are subjected to the same coloring treatment, so that the first coloring layer formed by the first oxide layer of the first region has a first visual effect, and the second coloring layer formed by the second oxide layer of the second region has a second visual effect, and the first visual effect and the second visual effect are different.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein forming a first oxide layer and a second oxide layer on the first surface of the shell comprises: forming an oxide layer having the same thickness on the first region and the second region; The oxide layer of one of the first region and the second region is subjected to a target treatment so that the thickness of the oxide layer of the one region changes, while the thickness of the oxide layer of the other region of the first region and the second region remains unchanged.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: The oxide layer having the same thickness formed in the first region and the second region has a first thickness; The oxide layer of one of the regions is subjected to a target treatment so that the oxide layer of one of the regions changes from a first thickness to a second thickness; wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: A pattern is engraved on one of the regions so that the thickness of the oxide layer of the one of the regions with the engraved pattern changes from a first thickness to a second thickness.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the first region has a first resistance value under the first oxide layer, the second region has a second resistance value under the second oxide layer, and the first resistance value is different from the second resistance value; The performing the same coloring process on the first area and the second area includes: The first region and the second region with different resistance values ​​are subjected to the same coloring treatment, so that a first coloring layer formed by a first oxide layer in the first region has a first visual effect different from a second coloring layer formed by a second oxide layer in the second region.

10. The method according to claim 9, The first region and the second region with different resistance values ​​are subjected to the same coloring process, so that the thickness of the first coloring layer generated by the first oxide layer based on the first resistance value is different from the thickness of the second coloring layer generated by the second oxide layer based on the second resistance value; wherein, The first visual effect is obtained by the thickness of the first colored layer, and the second visual effect is obtained by the thickness of the second colored layer.

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