Shell, preparation method of shell and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a shell, a preparation method of the shell and electronic equipment, the shell comprises an edge part and a thinning part, the edge part is arranged around the circumferential direction of the thinning part, and the thinning part comprises a corrosion area and an adjacent area adjacent to the corrosion area; and along the thickness direction of the shell, the corrosion area is sunken relative to the adjacent area. According to the shell provided by the embodiment of the invention, on the basis of ensuring the strength of the shell, the weight of the shell is reduced, the reliability risk of the assembled electronic equipment is reduced, and the shell has a better application prospect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of electronic equipment, and in particular to a housing, a method for preparing the housing, and an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] In the current electronic device market, consumers increasingly favor ultra-thin, high-performance devices. To achieve these designs, the overall thickness of the housing is often reduced to reduce weight. However, this overall thinning can increase reliability risks, such as reduced drop resistance and possible housing failure. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a shell, a method for preparing a shell, and an electronic device, which reduces the weight of the shell while ensuring the strength of the shell, reduces the reliability risk of the assembled electronic device, and has better application prospects.

[0004] The present application provides a shell, the shell comprising an edge portion and a thinning portion, the edge portion being arranged around the thinning portion, the thinning portion comprising a corrosion area and an adjacent area adjacent to the corrosion area;

[0005] Wherein, along the thickness direction of the shell, the corrosion area is recessed relative to the adjacent area.

[0006] In the housing provided by this application, a corrosion zone is provided in the thinned portion. After corrosion, the corrosion zone is recessed relative to the adjacent zone, thereby achieving a material-reducing design for the thinned portion. This helps reduce the weight of the housing and thus facilitates the thinning of electronic devices. At the same time, the adjacent zone acts as a rib, ensuring the structural strength of the housing. The housing provided by the embodiments of this application can reduce the weight of the housing while ensuring its strength, reducing the reliability risk of the assembled electronic device and having better application prospects.

[0007] In one possible embodiment, the edge portion includes an edge area, the edge area and the corrosion area are oriented in the same direction, and the edge portion is provided with an avoidance groove, the opening of the avoidance groove is provided in the edge area and passes through the side surface of the edge portion facing the thinning portion;

[0008] The side wall surface of the avoidance groove includes two transition surfaces, which are spaced apart and arranged opposite to each other, and the edge area and the bottom wall surface of the avoidance groove are smoothly connected through the transition surfaces.

[0009] In a possible embodiment, the transition surface is a plane, the angle between the transition surface and the edge area is α, 90°<α<180°, and the angle between the transition surface and the bottom wall of the avoidance groove is β, 90°<β<180°.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the transition surface is a cambered surface.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the thickness of the thinned portion at the location of the corrosion zone is less than or equal to 0.7 mm, and along the thickness direction of the shell, the height of the adjacent area protruding relative to the corrosion zone is 0.2 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0012] In a possible implementation manner, the shape of the corrosion area is a triangle, a quadrilateral, or a hexagon.

[0013] In a possible implementation manner, there are multiple thinning portions, the multiple thinning portions are arranged at intervals from each other, and the edge portion is arranged around each thinning portion.

[0014] The present invention also provides a method for preparing a housing, including:

[0015] Providing a substrate, the substrate comprising an edge area and an area to be processed, wherein the edge area is arranged around the area to be processed;

[0016] Prepare a film-coated substrate, which includes a substrate, a protective bag, and a mask. The protective bag has a window, is placed on the outside of the substrate and covers the edge area, and the area to be treated is exposed relative to the window. The mask covers the area to be treated and has a hollow portion. The hollow portion penetrates the mask along the thickness direction of the mask and exposes at least a portion of the area to be treated.

[0017] Immersing the film-coated substrate in an etchant, wherein the etchant corrodes at least a portion of the area to be treated to form a corrosion area;

[0018] The protective bag and mask are removed to obtain the housing.

[0019] The method for preparing a shell provided in an embodiment of the present application is to cover the edge area of ​​the substrate with a protective bag by putting a protective bag on the outside of the substrate to protect the edge area and prevent the features of the edge area from being destroyed in the subsequent corrosion step. At this time, the area to be processed of the substrate is exposed relative to the window of the protective bag, and a mask is set to cover the area to be processed. The mask covers the area in the area to be processed that does not need to be corroded, and the area to be corroded in the area to be processed that needs to be corroded is exposed relative to the hollow part of the mask. The area to be corroded is corroded by an etchant to form a corrosion area, thereby obtaining a relatively thin shell. Compared with the method of plating organic resin, the method for preparing a shell provided in an embodiment of the present application uses a protective bag and a mask that are easy to obtain, and the method of covering the substrate with the protective bag and the mask is simpler. The protective bag and the mask can be removed by tearing off the protective bag and the mask, without the need for additional solvents, thereby reducing the preparation cost.

[0020] In one possible embodiment, the protective bag further includes an air extraction hole connected to the inner side of the protective bag. Before immersing the coated substrate in the corrosive agent, the method further includes: extracting air from the air extraction hole to ensure that the protective bag adheres to the surface of the substrate. The conformity of the protective bag to the surface of the substrate makes it difficult for the corrosive agent to enter the inner side of the protective bag, thereby improving the protective bag's sealing effect on the edge area of ​​the substrate and thereby enhancing the protective effect of the protective bag on the edge area of ​​the substrate.

[0021] In one possible embodiment, the protective bag is a heat-shrink bag. Prior to immersing the coated substrate in the etchant, the protective bag is heated to conform to the surface of the substrate. This conformation of the protective bag to the surface of the substrate prevents the etchant from entering the inner side of the protective bag, thereby enhancing the protective bag's ability to seal and protect the substrate's edge regions.

[0022] In one possible embodiment, the step of preparing the film-coated substrate includes bonding the edge of the window opening to the edge region using an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer allows the protective bag to encapsulate the edge region of the substrate, thereby enhancing the protective effect of the protective bag on the edge region.

[0023] In one possible embodiment, a substrate is provided with an escape groove, wherein the escape groove has an opening located in an edge region. The sidewalls of the escape groove include two transition surfaces spaced apart and arranged opposite each other. The edge region and the bottom wall of the escape groove are smoothly connected via the transition surfaces. The adhesive layer is bonded between the edge of the window and the edge region, and between the transition surfaces and the bottom wall. By providing a smooth connection between the bottom wall of the escape groove and the edge region via the transition surfaces, the edge of the window of the protective bag can be firmly bonded to the transition surfaces and the bottom wall, preventing the protective bag from warping, preventing a gap from forming between the protective bag and the substrate, and preventing subsequent corrosive agents from penetrating into the interior of the protective bag through the gap between the protective bag and the substrate. This improves the protective bag's coverage of the edge region of the substrate, thereby improving the protective bag's protective effect on the edge region.

[0024] In one possible embodiment, the edge area is provided with a pattern, which is a three-dimensional pattern and / or a planar pattern. Before the step of immersing the coated substrate in the corrosive agent, the step further includes: covering the pattern with a protective bag to prevent the corrosive agent from corroding the pattern, thereby protecting the pattern.

[0025] An embodiment of the present application further provides an electronic device, comprising a functional device and a housing as described above, wherein the functional device is mounted in the housing.

[0026] In one possible embodiment, the edge portion includes an edge area, the edge area and the corrosion area have the same orientation, the edge portion is provided with a mounting groove and an avoidance groove, the opening of the mounting groove is provided in the edge area, the opening of the avoidance groove is provided in the edge area, and the avoidance groove passes through the side of the edge portion facing the thinning portion, the functional device includes a circuit board, the electronic device includes a camera module and an electrical connector, the camera module is installed in the mounting groove, the electrical connector passes through the avoidance groove and the thinning portion, and is electrically connected between the camera module and the circuit board. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of the front housing of the electronic device shown in the first embodiment;

[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the structure of the edge portion of the front shell shown;

[0031] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of a portion of the edge portion in other embodiments;

[0032] Figure 5 for Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of section A in the front shell shown;

[0033] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of the front housing provided in the second embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram of the front housing provided in the third embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 8 for Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a rear housing in the electronic device shown;

[0036] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a process for preparing a shell;

[0037] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the process for preparing a housing according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 11 for Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the structure of the substrate in the preparation process shown;

[0039] Figure 12 for Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the structure of the protective bag in the preparation process shown;

[0040] Figure 13 for Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the structure of the mask in the preparation process shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of this application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0042] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the electronic device 1 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0043] The electronic device 1 may be a tablet, a folding screen, a notebook or the like. In the embodiment of the present application, the electronic device 1 is described by taking a notebook as an example. The electronic device 1 includes a housing 100, a display screen 300, a camera module 500 and functional components ( Figure 1 (not shown), the display screen 300, the camera module 500 and the functional components are all installed in the housing 100.

[0044] Specifically, the housing 100 includes a front housing 110, a load-bearing housing 130, and a rear housing 150. The load-bearing housing 130 is rotatably connected to the front housing 110 to enable the housing 100 to open and close. The rear housing 150 is mounted on the side of the load-bearing housing 130 facing away from the front housing 110. It will be understood that in this embodiment, the front housing 110 is the A housing of a notebook, the load-bearing housing 130 is the C housing of a notebook, and the rear housing 150 is the D housing of a notebook. Exemplarily, the material of the front housing 110 is metal, and the material of the rear housing 150 is metal, including materials such as magnesium alloy, aluminum alloy, and stainless steel.

[0045] The display screen 300 and the camera module 500 are both mounted on the front shell 110 to enable the display screen 300 and the camera module 500 to be mounted on the outer shell 100. Functional components are mounted on the inner side of the carrier shell 130. Exemplarily, the functional components may include a circuit board, a heat dissipation system and a central processing unit (CPU), a keyboard, a battery and other components. Exemplarily, the heat dissipation system includes a fan. The electronic device 1 may further include an electrical connector, which is electrically connected between the camera module 500 and the circuit board to enable the circuit board to drive the camera module 500 to work. Among them, the circuit board may be the motherboard of the electronic device 1.

[0046] See Figure 2 , Figure 2 for Figure 1 The front shell 110 of the electronic device 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the first embodiment. Figure 2 The middle dotted line path represents the layout path of the electrical connector electrically connected to the camera module 500.

[0047] For the convenience of description, we define Figure 2 The length direction of the front shell 110 is the X-axis direction, the width direction is the Y-axis direction, and the thickness direction is the Z-axis direction. The X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction are perpendicular to each other. The terms "top", "bottom", "left", and "right" mentioned in the description of the front shell 110 in this embodiment are based on the instructions in the attached manual. Figure 2 The description of the directions shown uses the positive direction of the Z axis as the "top", the negative direction of the Z axis as the "bottom", the negative direction of the X axis as the "left", and the positive direction of the X axis as the "right", which does not constitute a limitation on the actual application scenario of the front shell 110.

[0048] The front housing 110 includes an edge portion 10 and a thinned portion 30. The edge portion 10 is disposed around the thinned portion 30. Specifically, the edge portion 10 includes an edge region 11. In this embodiment, the edge region 11 is the top surface of the edge portion 10 along the thickness direction, and the edge region 11 faces the positive direction of the Z axis.

[0049] Edge portion 10 is provided with pattern 13, which is disposed in edge region 11. Pattern 13 can be a three-dimensional pattern and / or a two-dimensional pattern. For example, a three-dimensional pattern can be a groove or a protrusion. A two-dimensional pattern can be a symbol such as letters, numbers, or text. In this embodiment, pattern 13 includes grooves and protrusions.

[0050] The edge portion 10 is provided with a mounting groove 15 and an avoidance groove 17. The opening of the mounting groove 15 is provided in the edge area 11, and the mounting groove 15 is recessed from the edge area 11 to the bottom surface of the edge portion 10. In this embodiment, the mounting groove 15 is used to install the camera module 500. The opening of the avoidance groove 17 is provided in the edge area 11, and the avoidance groove 17 passes through the side of the edge portion 10 facing the thinning portion 30. In this embodiment, the avoidance groove 17 is used to provide an avoidance space for the arrangement of electrical connectors. There can be multiple avoidance grooves 17, and the multiple avoidance grooves 17 are spaced apart in the direction surrounding the thinning portion 30. At least one avoidance groove 17 among the multiple avoidance grooves 17 is connected to the mounting groove 15. In this embodiment, there are two avoidance grooves 17, and the two avoidance grooves 17 are spaced apart in the direction surrounding the thinning portion 30. One avoidance groove 17 is connected to the mounting groove 15.

[0051] See also Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 3 for Figure 2 The schematic cross-sectional view of the structure of the edge portion 10 of the front shell 110 is shown. Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a portion of the edge portion 10 in other embodiments.

[0052] Each avoidance groove 17 includes a bottom wall 171 and side walls. The bottom wall 171 is disposed opposite the opening of the avoidance groove 17. The side walls include two transition surfaces 173, which are spaced apart and disposed opposite each other. In this embodiment, the two transition surfaces 173 are disposed opposite each other along a direction surrounding the thinned portion 30. Each transition surface 173 connects between the bottom wall 171 and the edge region 11.

[0053] Among them, the groove bottom wall surface 171 of the avoidance groove 17 is smoothly connected to the edge area 11 through the transition surface 173. In this embodiment, the transition surface 173 is a plane, and the angle between the transition surface 173 and the edge area 11 is α, 90°<α<180°, and the angle between the transition surface 173 and the groove bottom wall surface 171 is β, 90°<β<180°, so as to achieve a smooth connection between the groove bottom wall surface 171 and the edge area 11 through the transition surface 173. At this time, the transition surface 173 appears as a chamfered slope. Specifically, in this embodiment, the groove side wall surface of the avoidance groove 17 can be chamfered to design the transition surface 173 as a chamfered slope. It can be understood that in this embodiment, "smooth connection" means that there is no straight edge step, that is, the angle α between the transition surface 173 and the edge area 11 is ≠90°, and the angle β between the transition surface 173 and the groove bottom wall surface 171 is ≠90°. In other embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the transition surface 173 may also be an arc surface (such as a circular arc surface), and the groove bottom wall surface 171 and the edge area 11 are smoothly connected through the arc transition surface 173.

[0054] See also Figure 2 and Figure 5 , Figure 5 for Figure 2 A partial enlarged view of portion A of the front housing 110 is shown.

[0055] The thinning portion 30 includes an etched portion 301 and an adjacent portion 303 connected to the etched portion 301. In this embodiment, the adjacent portion 303 is disposed around the etched portion 301. The etched portion 301 includes an etched region 31. The etched region 31 is the top surface of the etched portion 301 along the thickness direction and is oriented in the same direction as the edge region 11. The adjacent portion 303 includes an adjacent region 33, which is adjacent to the etched region 31. The adjacent region 33 is the top surface of the adjacent portion 303 along the thickness direction and is oriented in the same direction as the etched region 31.

[0056] Specifically, in this embodiment, the thickness of the thinning portion 30 at the position of the corrosion zone 31 is less than or equal to 0.7 mm, that is, the thickness of the corrosion portion 301 is less than or equal to 0.7 mm. There can be multiple corrosion zones 31, and the multiple corrosion zones 31 are arranged at intervals from each other. Among them, the corrosion zone 31 refers to the area formed after corrosion by the corrosive agent. Usually, an oxide layer is also formed on the surface of the corrosion zone 31 to improve the corrosion resistance of the front shell 110. Exemplarily, a micro-arc oxidation process can be used to form an oxide layer on the surface of the corrosion zone 31. Exemplarily, when the material of the front shell 110 is a magnesium alloy, the oxide layer is usually a Mg2SiO4 and MgO protective film formed by the micro-arc oxidation process or a composite film protective film formed by phosphate, molybdate, silane or titanium salt.

[0057] For example, the shape of the corrosion area 31 can be a triangle, a quadrilateral or a hexagon. In this embodiment, the shape of the corrosion area 31 is a triangle. It is understood that the "triangle" includes the following: Figure 5 The illustrated triangles have rounded corners, and also include triangles with sharp corners. In this embodiment, the thinning portion 30 includes multiple rows of corrosion zones 31, which are arranged sequentially along the width direction of the front shell 110. Each row of corrosion zones 31 includes multiple corrosion zones 31, and the multiple corrosion zones 31 in each row of corrosion zones 31 are arranged sequentially along the length direction of the front shell 110. Exemplarily, the thinning portion 30 includes three to four rows of corrosion zones 31. The side length of each triangle of corrosion zone 31 is 30 mm to 60 mm. In this embodiment, the thinning portion 30 includes three rows of corrosion zones 31.

[0058] The adjacent area 33 is arranged around the circumference of the corrosion area 31, and along the thickness direction of the front shell 110, the corrosion area 31 is recessed relative to the adjacent area 33. At this time, the adjacent area 33 protrudes relative to the corrosion area 31, and the adjacent area 33 acts as a rib, which can be used to improve the structural strength of the thinning portion 30. Exemplarily, the height of the adjacent area 33 protruding relative to the corrosion area 31 is 0.2mm to 1.5mm. In this embodiment, the height of the adjacent area 33 protruding relative to the corrosion area 31 is D, and D is 0.2mm to 1mm. The adjacent area 33 includes a plurality of sub-adjacent areas 331, and the plurality of sub-adjacent areas 331 are connected to each other to form a mesh structure. Each sub-adjacent area 331 is connected between two adjacent corrosion areas 31. In this embodiment, the width of each sub-adjacent area 331 is W, and W is 4mm to 6mm.

[0059] Continue reading Figure 2 In the assembled electronic device 1, the camera module 500 is installed in the mounting groove 15 of the edge portion 10, along Figure 2 In the dotted line path, one end of the electrical connector can be extended into the mounting groove 15 to be electrically connected to the camera module 500, and the other end is passed through the avoidance groove 17 and the thinning portion 30, and is electrically connected to the circuit board, so as to realize the electrical connection between the camera module 500 and the circuit board.

[0060] In the front shell 110 provided in the embodiment of the present application, by providing a corrosion zone 31 in the thinning portion 30, the corrosion zone 31 is recessed relative to the adjacent zone 33 after corrosion, thereby achieving a material-saving design of the thinning portion 30, which is conducive to reducing the weight of the front shell 110 and thus facilitating the thinning and lightening of the electronic device 1. At the same time, the adjacent zone 33 acts as a rib, ensuring the structural strength of the front shell 110. The front shell 110 provided in the embodiment of the present application can reduce the weight of the front shell 110 while ensuring the strength of the front shell 110, reduce the reliability risk of the assembled electronic device 1, and has better application prospects.

[0061] See Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of the front shell 110 provided in the second embodiment of the present application.

[0062] The front shell 110 of the second embodiment is different from the front shell 110 of the first embodiment in that the corrosion area 31 in the front shell 110 of the second embodiment is in the shape of a quadrilateral.

[0063] Specifically, in the front housing 110 of the second embodiment, the thickness of the thinned portion 30 at the location of the etched region 31 is less than or equal to 0.7 mm. The height D of the adjacent region 33 protruding relative to the etched region 31 is 0.2 mm to 1.5 mm. The width W of each sub-adjacent region 331 in the adjacent region 33 is 0.6 mm to 3 mm.

[0064] In the front shell 110 of the second embodiment, the thinned portion 30 includes five rows of etching zones 31. Along the length of the front shell 110, each row of etching zones 31 includes a first etching zone 311, a second etching zone 312, and a third etching zone 313 arranged in series. The length of the first etching zone 311 is less than the length of the second etching zone 312, which is less than the length of the third etching zone 313. Furthermore, the ratio of the length of the first etching zone 311: the length of the second etching zone 312: the length of the third etching zone 313 is selected from any three ratios of L1 to L5. L1 is 2.6 to 12.6, L2 is 11 to 21, L3 is 15 to 25, L4 is 40 to 50, and L5 is 46 to 56. Exemplarily, the length of the first corrosion zone 311: the length of the second corrosion zone 312: the length of the third corrosion zone 313 = L1:L2:L3, L1:L2:L4, L1:L2:L5, L1:L3:L4, L1:L3:L5, L1:L4:L5, L2:L3:L4, L2:L3:L5, L2:L4:L5 or L3:L4:L5.

[0065] In this embodiment, the plurality of corrosion zones 31 in each row of corrosion zones 31 include a first corrosion zone 311, a second corrosion zone 312, a third corrosion zone 313, a fourth corrosion zone 314, and a fifth corrosion zone 315. Along the length direction of the front housing 110, the length of the first corrosion zone 311 is less than the length of the second corrosion zone 312, less than the length of the third corrosion zone 313, less than the length of the fourth corrosion zone 314, and less than the length of the fifth corrosion zone 315. The length of the first corrosion zone 311: the length of the second corrosion zone 312: the length of the third corrosion zone 313: the length of the fourth corrosion zone 314: the length of the fifth corrosion zone 315 = (2.6-12.6): (11-21): (15-25): (40-50): (46-56).

[0066] In this embodiment, the thinned portion 30 includes five rows of corrosion regions 31, and each row of corrosion regions 31 includes ten corrosion regions 31. It is understood that in other embodiments, the number of corrosion regions 31 in each row of corrosion regions 31 may be less than the number of corrosion regions 31 in each row of corrosion regions 31 in this embodiment, or may be greater than the number of corrosion regions 31 in each row of corrosion regions 31 in the example, and this application is not limited thereto.

[0067] See Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of the front shell 110 provided in the third embodiment of the present application.

[0068] The difference between the front shell 110 of the third embodiment and the front shell 110 of the first embodiment is that the front shell 110 of the third embodiment has a plurality of thinned portions 30 .

[0069] Specifically, multiple thinning portions 30 are spaced apart from each other, and the edge portion 10 is disposed around each thinning portion 30. In this embodiment, there are four thinning portions 30, which are spaced apart from each other. It is understood that in other embodiments, the number of thinning portions 30 may also be two, three, five, etc., and this application does not impose any limitation on the number of thinning portions 30.

[0070] See Figure 8 , Figure 8 for Figure 1 The structure diagram of the rear shell 150 in the electronic device 1 is shown.

[0071] The rear shell 150 is different from the front shell 110 in that the corrosion area 31 in the rear shell 150 is hexagonal in shape.

[0072] Specifically, in the back cover 150 of this embodiment, the hexagonal side length in the corrosion zone 31 of the thinned portion 30 is less than 15 mm. The thickness of the thinned portion 30 at the corrosion zone 31 is less than 0.5 mm, and the width W of each sub-adjacent zone 331 in the adjacent zone 33 is 0.3 mm to 5 mm.

[0073] See also Figure 9 , Figure 9 The following is a schematic diagram of a process for preparing a housing. The housing is described using the front housing 110 or the rear housing 150 as an example. The process for preparing the housing includes:

[0074] P1. Provide a substrate 700. In step P1, a pattern 13 is formed on the surface of the substrate 700.

[0075] P2. Plate an organic resin 800 on the surface of the substrate 700.

[0076] P3. Use laser etching to etch the organic resin 800 to expose the area to be etched 701 of the substrate 700. At this time, the organic resin 800 covers the pattern 13 and protects the pattern 13 from being damaged during the etching process of the area to be etched 701.

[0077] P4. Etch the exposed area 701 of the substrate 700 with an etchant. The area 701 is etched by the etchant to obtain the etched area 31.

[0078] P5. Remove the remaining organic resin 800 to obtain a shell.

[0079] The surface of the substrate 700 is provided with a pattern 13. During the process of etching the to-be-etched area 701 of the substrate 700 to form the etching area 31, the etchant easily damages the pattern 13. When the front housing 110 is manufactured using the aforementioned manufacturing process, while the organic resin 800 is plated on the surface of the substrate 700, this protects the pattern 13 from being damaged, the cost of plating the organic resin 800 is high, and a special removal solvent is subsequently required to dissolve the organic resin, resulting in a cumbersome process. The use of the removal solvent further increases production costs. Furthermore, when the organic resin 800 is etched to expose the to-be-etched area 701 using a laser engraving process, the laser engraving process is complex, further increasing production costs.

[0080] In response to the above problems, the embodiment of the present application further provides a method for preparing a shell, wherein the shell is described by taking the above-mentioned front shell 110 as an example. It is understandable that the shell can also be a rear shell 150 or other shells with an edge portion 10 and a thinning portion 30, and the present application does not limit this. Figure 10 , Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the preparation process of the shell provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0081] The method for preparing the housing provided in the embodiment of the present application includes:

[0082] S1. Provide a substrate 700. The substrate 700 includes an edge region 11 and a region to be processed 710. The edge region 11 surrounds the region to be processed 710. Figure 11 , Figure 11 for Figure 10 The schematic diagram of the structure of substrate 700 during the fabrication process is shown. Substrate 700 includes an edge portion 10 and a portion to be thinned 730. Edge portion 10 is disposed circumferentially around portion 730. Edge region 11 of edge portion 10 is provided with a pattern 13. Portion 730 includes a pre-processed area 710, which is the top surface of portion 730 along its thickness direction and is generally flat.

[0083] S2 . Prepare the film-coated substrate 900 . The film-coated substrate 900 includes the substrate 700 , the protective bag 200 , and the mask 400 .

[0084] Specifically, step S2 includes step S21 and step S22. In step S21, a protective bag 200 is placed on the outside of the substrate 700. Figure 12 , Figure 12 for Figure 10 The protective bag 200 is provided with a receiving cavity 201. The protective bag 200 is also provided with a window 210 and an air extraction hole ( Figure 12The window 210 and the air extraction hole are both connected to the accommodating chamber 201. For example, the protective bag 200 is a bag. The material of the protective bag 200 can be plastic, such as PET (Polyethylene Glycol Terephthalate) or PE (Polyethylene).

[0085] When the protective bag 200 is sleeved on the outside of the substrate 700, the substrate 700 can be placed in the accommodating cavity 201, and the edge of the window 210 can be bonded to the edge area 11 using the adhesive layer. At this time, the protective bag 200 covers the edge area 11, and the area to be processed 710 is exposed relative to the window 210. In this embodiment, the adhesive layer is a circle of waterproof sealing tape. By designing a waterproof sealing tape at the edge of the window 210 of the protective bag 200, the waterproof sealing tape is bonded between the protective bag 200 and the edge area 11, so as to achieve the edge of the window 210 being bonded to the edge area 11. By providing the adhesive layer, the protective bag 200 forms a packaging effect on the edge area 11 of the substrate 700, which is conducive to improving the protective effect of the protective bag 200 on the edge area 11.

[0086] When the substrate 700 is provided with a relief groove 17, an adhesive layer is used to bond the edge of the window 210 to the edge region 11, and between the transition surface 173 and the bottom wall 171 of the relief groove 17. In this case, by providing a smooth connection between the bottom wall 171 of the relief groove 17 and the edge region 11 via the transition surface 173, the edge of the window 210 of the protective bag 200 can be firmly bonded to the transition surface 173 and the bottom wall 171. This prevents the protective bag 200 from warping, prevents the formation of a gap between the protective bag 200 and the substrate 700, and prevents subsequent corrosive agents from penetrating into the inner side of the protective bag 200 through the gap between the protective bag 200 and the substrate 700. This improves the coverage of the protective bag 200 on the edge region 11 of the substrate 700, and further enhances the protective bag 200's protective effect on the edge region 11.

[0087] Step S22: Set a mask 400 in the area to be processed 710 to obtain a film-coated substrate 900. Figure 13 , Figure 13 for Figure 10Schematic diagram of the structure of the mask 400 in the preparation process shown. The mask 400 is provided with a hollow portion 410, and the hollow portion 410 penetrates the mask 400 along the thickness direction of the mask 400. At this time, the hollow portion 410 exposes at least a portion of the area to be processed 710. In this embodiment, the area to be processed 710 includes an area to be corroded 701 and an adjacent area 33 adjacent to the area to be corroded 701. When the mask 400 is set in the area to be processed 710, the mask 400 covers the adjacent area 33 of the area to be processed 710, and the area to be corroded 701 is exposed relative to the hollow portion 410. Exemplarily, the material of the mask 400 can be plastic, such as PET (Polyethylene Glycol Terephthalate) or PE (Polyethylene).

[0088] S3. Immerse the coated substrate 900 in an etchant, and the etchant corrodes at least a portion of the area to be treated 710 exposed relative to the hollow portion 410 to form a corrosion area 31. In this embodiment, the etchant corrodes the area to be corroded 701 in the area to be treated 710, and the area to be corroded 701 is corroded by the etchant to form a corrosion area 31. Exemplarily, when the material of the substrate 700 is an aluminum alloy, the etchant can be an alkaline solution, and the main components of the alkaline solution include NaOH or NaHCO3. The thinned portion 30 is obtained after the etchant is applied to the area to be thinned 730. In this embodiment, the protective bag 200 covers the edge area 11 of the substrate 700, and the etchant only etches the area to be corroded 701 of the substrate 700 exposed relative to the hollow portion 410 of the mask 400.

[0089] Before immersing the film-coated substrate 900 in the etchant, this embodiment also includes the step of laminating the protective bag 200 to the surface of the substrate 700. Because the protective bag 200 is in close contact with the surface of the substrate 700, the etchant is less likely to enter the accommodating cavity 201 of the protective bag 200. This improves the sealing effect of the protective bag 200 on the edge region 11 of the substrate 700, thereby enhancing the protective bag 200's protective effect on the edge region 11 of the substrate 700. Specifically, in this embodiment, air is extracted from the vent holes of the protective bag 200 to remove the air within the protective bag 200, thereby laminating the protective bag 200 to the substrate 700. It is understood that in other embodiments, the protective bag 200 may be a heat-shrink bag. In this case, the protective bag 200 does not need to be provided with vent holes. The protective bag 200 can be heated, such as by blowing hot air, to shrink the protective bag 200, thereby laminating the protective bag 200 to the substrate 700.

[0090] In addition, in this embodiment, the edge area 11 of the substrate 700 is provided with a pattern 13. Before the step of immersing the coated substrate 900 in the corrosive agent, the process further includes: covering the pattern 13 with a protective bag 200 to prevent the corrosive agent from corroding the pattern 13, thereby protecting the pattern 13.

[0091] S4 , removing the protective bag 200 and the mask 400 to obtain a housing.

[0092] It is understood that to improve the corrosion resistance of the housing, a step of forming an oxide layer on the surface of the housing is typically included after step S4. For example, a micro-arc oxidation process can be used to form the oxide layer on the surface of the housing. At this point, an oxide layer is formed on the surface of the corrosion zone 31 in the housing.

[0093] The edge area 11 of the substrate 700 is usually provided with important morphological features such as a pattern 13. In the process of preparing the substrate 700 to form a shell, important morphological features such as the pattern 13 need to be retained. The method for preparing the shell provided in the embodiment of the present application is to cover the edge area 11 of the substrate 700 with the protective bag 200 by putting it on the outside of the substrate 700, so as to protect the edge area 11 and prevent the pattern 13 of the edge area 11 from being destroyed in the subsequent etching step. At this time, the area to be processed 710 of the substrate 700 is exposed relative to the window 210 of the protective bag 200, which is convenient for etching the area to be processed 710 with an etchant. At the same time, by setting a mask 400 to cover the area to be processed 710, the mask 400 covers the adjacent area 33 in the area to be processed 710 that does not need to be etched, and the area to be etched 701 in the area to be processed 710 that needs to be etched is exposed relative to the hollow portion 410 of the mask 400. The area to be etched 701 is etched with an etchant to form an etching area 31, thereby obtaining a relatively thin shell. Compared with the method of plating organic resin 800, the shell preparation method provided in the embodiment of the present application uses a protective bag 200 and a mask 400 that are easy to obtain, and the method of covering the substrate 700 with the protective bag 200 and the mask 400 is simpler. The protective bag 200 and the mask 400 can be removed by tearing off the protective bag 200 and the mask 400, without the need for additional solvents, thereby reducing the preparation cost.

[0094] In addition, by laminating the protective bag 200 to the surface of the substrate 700 , corrosive agents can be prevented from entering the accommodating cavity 201 of the protective bag 200 , thereby improving the protective effect of the protective bag 200 on the edge area 11 of the substrate 700 .

[0095] The above disclosure is only a preferred embodiment of the present application, and it is certainly not intended to limit the scope of the rights of the present application. A person skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the processes of the above embodiments and equivalent changes made in accordance with the claims of the present application are still within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A housing, characterized in that: The shell includes an edge portion and a thinned portion, the edge portion is arranged around the thinned portion, and the thinned portion includes a corrosion area and an adjacent area adjacent to the corrosion area; Wherein, along the thickness direction of the shell, the corrosion area is recessed relative to the adjacent area.

2. The housing according to claim 1, wherein: The edge portion includes an edge area, the edge area and the corrosion area are oriented in the same direction, and the edge portion is provided with an avoidance groove, the opening of the avoidance groove is provided in the edge area and passes through the side surface of the edge portion facing the thinning portion; The side wall surface of the avoidance groove includes two transition surfaces, the two transition surfaces are spaced apart and arranged opposite to each other, and the edge area and the bottom wall surface of the avoidance groove are smoothly connected through the transition surfaces.

3. The housing according to claim 2, wherein: The transition surface is a plane, the angle between the transition surface and the edge area is α, 90°<α<180°, and the angle between the transition surface and the bottom wall of the avoidance groove is β, 90°<β<180°.

4. The housing according to claim 2, wherein: The transition surface is a cambered surface.

5. The housing according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The thickness of the thinned portion at the location of the corrosion zone is less than or equal to 0.7 mm, and along the thickness direction of the shell, the height of the adjacent zone protruding relative to the corrosion zone is 0.2 mm to 1.5 mm.

6. The housing according to claim 5, wherein: The shape of the corrosion area is triangle, quadrangle or hexagon.

7. The housing according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that There are a plurality of thinning portions, which are spaced apart from each other, and the edge portion is arranged around each thinning portion.

8. A method for preparing a shell, characterized in that: include: Providing a substrate, the substrate comprising an edge area and an area to be processed, wherein the edge area is arranged around the area to be processed; Prepare a film-coated substrate, the film-coated substrate comprising the substrate, a protective bag, and a mask, the protective bag having a window, the protective bag being sleeved on the outside of the substrate and covering the edge area, the area to be processed being exposed relative to the window, the mask covering the area to be processed, the mask having a hollow portion, the hollow portion penetrating the mask along the thickness direction of the mask and exposing at least a portion of the area to be processed; Immersing the film-coated substrate in an etchant, wherein the etchant corrodes at least a portion of the area to be processed to form a corrosion area; The protective bag and the mask are removed to obtain a housing.

9. The method for preparing a housing according to claim 8, wherein: The protective bag is further provided with an exhaust hole, which is communicated with the inner side of the protective bag. Before the step of immersing the coated substrate in the corrosive agent, the step further includes: exhausting air from the exhaust hole to make the protective bag fit the surface of the substrate.

10. The method for preparing a housing according to claim 8, wherein: The protective bag is a heat shrink bag. Before the step of immersing the film-coated substrate in the corrosive agent, the step further includes: heating the protective bag so that the protective bag is adhered to the surface of the substrate.

11. The method for preparing a housing according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that: The step of preparing the film-coated substrate includes: bonding the edge of the window to the edge area using an adhesive layer.

12. The method for preparing a housing according to claim 11, characterized in that: The substrate is provided with an avoidance groove, the opening of the avoidance groove is provided in the edge area, the side wall of the avoidance groove includes two transition surfaces, the two transition surfaces are spaced apart and arranged opposite to each other, the edge area and the bottom wall of the avoidance groove are smoothly connected through the transition surfaces, and the adhesive layer is bonded between the edge of the window and the edge area, the transition surface and the bottom wall of the groove.

13. The method for preparing a housing according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that: The edge area is provided with a pattern, and the pattern is a three-dimensional pattern and / or a plane pattern. Before the step of immersing the film-coated substrate in the corrosive agent, the step further includes: using the protective bag to cover the pattern.

14. An electronic device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a functional device and a housing according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the functional device is mounted on the housing.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, characterized in that The edge portion includes an edge area, and the edge area has the same orientation as the corrosion area. The edge portion is provided with a mounting groove and an avoidance groove. The opening of the mounting groove is provided in the edge area, and the opening of the avoidance groove is provided in the edge area, and the avoidance groove passes through the side of the edge portion facing the thinning portion. The functional device includes a circuit board, and the electronic device includes a camera module and an electrical connector. The camera module is installed in the mounting groove, and the electrical connector passes through the avoidance groove and the thinning portion, and is electrically connected between the camera module and the circuit board.

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