Structural member, manufacturing method thereof and electronic equipment
By setting a preset texture on the surface of the fiber composite substrate layer and stacking connecting and conductive layers, the impact of fiber composite structural components on antenna signals and radio frequency efficiency is solved, thereby improving the conductivity and reliability of the structural components.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202410925253.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-13
AI Technical Summary
When fiber composite materials are used as structural components in electronic devices, they can affect antenna signals and radio frequency efficiency, leading to radiated spurious emissions and limiting their application in communication equipment.
A pre-defined texture is set on the surface of the substrate layer of the fiber composite material, and a connecting layer and a conductive layer are stacked on it. The conductive layer is made of conductive metal material to improve the conductivity of the substrate layer, enhance the interfacial bonding force, and reduce the risk of functional layer detachment.
It improves the conductivity of fiber composite structural components, reduces the impact on the radiation performance of radio frequency or antennas, lowers the probability of radiated spurious problems, and enhances the overall reliability of structural components.
Smart Images
Figure CN121335019A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of electronic equipment technology, and in particular to a structural component and its manufacturing method, and an electronic device. Background Technology
[0002] With technological advancements, users' demands for the portability of electronic devices are gradually increasing. Besides optimizing the lightweight structure of components such as chips and batteries within electronic devices, the materials used for structural support and protection can also be optimized for portability. Compared to structural components made of materials like aluminum alloys and stainless steel, fiber composite materials offer advantages such as high specific strength, corrosion resistance, and low density, making them suitable for manufacturing structural components in electronic devices and contributing to their portability.
[0003] However, fiber composite materials are poor conductors, which affect the antenna signals and radio frequency efficiency of electronic devices and may lead to spurious radiation problems, which greatly limits their application in communication equipment. Summary of the Invention
[0004] To overcome the problems existing in related technologies, this disclosure provides a structural component and its manufacturing method, as well as an electronic device.
[0005] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a structural member is provided, the structural member comprising:
[0006] The substrate layer is a fiber composite material, and the surface of the substrate layer is provided with a preset texture;
[0007] The functional layer includes a connection layer and a conductive layer stacked sequentially, wherein the connection layer covers the surface of the substrate layer.
[0008] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the dyne value of the surface of the substrate layer having the preset texture is greater than or equal to 36 N / m.
[0009] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the substrate layer includes a multilayer prepreg, which includes a unidirectional prepreg, a unidirectional fabric prepreg, or a fabric prepreg.
[0010] In some embodiments of this disclosure, multiple layers of the prepreg are symmetrically arranged in the thickness direction of the substrate layer.
[0011] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the connecting layer includes a first metallic material, which includes at least one of copper, nickel, titanium, copper alloy, nickel alloy, and titanium alloy.
[0012] The conductive layer includes a second metallic material, which includes at least one of silver, copper, and gold.
[0013] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the thickness of the connecting layer is 10nm-200nm; and / or,
[0014] The thickness of the conductive layer is 10nm-800nm.
[0015] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the functional layer further includes a protective layer that covers the surface of the conductive layer.
[0016] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the protective layer comprises a third metallic material, which includes at least one selected from tin, aluminum, nickel, aluminum alloys, and nickel alloys; and / or,
[0017] The thickness of the protective layer is 10nm-200nm.
[0018] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a method for manufacturing a structural component is provided, the method comprising:
[0019] A substrate layer is formed, wherein the substrate layer is a fiber composite material, and a predetermined texture is formed on the surface of the substrate layer;
[0020] A functional layer is formed on the surface of the substrate layer to obtain the structural component;
[0021] The functional layer includes:
[0022] A bonding layer is formed on the surface of the substrate layer;
[0023] A conductive layer is formed on the surface of the connecting layer opposite to the substrate layer.
[0024] In some embodiments of this disclosure, forming the substrate layer includes:
[0025] A multilayer prepreg is stacked, and a textured release paper is covered on at least one surface of the stacked multilayer prepreg.
[0026] Under preset conditions, the multilayer prepreg and the textured release paper are pressed together.
[0027] Remove the textured release paper to obtain a substrate layer blank, the surface of which has the preset texture;
[0028] Under the second preset conditions, the substrate layer blank is refined to obtain the substrate layer.
[0029] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the first preset conditions include: a pressing temperature of 50°C-200°C, a pressing pressure of 0.1MPa-0.9MPa, and a pressing time of 1min-20min.
[0030] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the finishing process includes laser cutting;
[0031] The second preset conditions include: laser frequency of 30kHz-150kHz and laser cutting speed of 100mm / min-300mm / min.
[0032] In some embodiments of this disclosure, forming the functional layer includes:
[0033] A first metallic material is disposed on the surface of the substrate layer to form the connecting layer;
[0034] A second metallic material is disposed on the surface of the connecting layer to form the conductive layer;
[0035] The first metallic material includes at least one of copper, nickel, copper alloy, and nickel alloy, and the second metallic material includes at least one of silver, copper, and gold.
[0036] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the formation of the functional layer further includes:
[0037] A protective layer is formed on the surface of the conductive layer opposite to the connecting layer.
[0038] In some embodiments of this disclosure, forming the protective layer includes:
[0039] A third metal material is disposed on the surface of the conductive layer to form the protective layer; wherein the third metal material includes at least one of tin, aluminum, nickel, aluminum alloy, and nickel alloy.
[0040] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device including the structural components provided in the first aspect of this disclosure.
[0041] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure can include the following beneficial effects: A conductive functional layer is provided on the surface of the fiber composite material substrate layer, thereby improving the conductivity of the substrate layer, mitigating or avoiding the impact of the structural component on the radiation performance of radio frequency or antennas, and reducing the probability of radiated spurious emissions. Simultaneously, the substrate layer surface is provided with a preset texture, which can improve the adhesion between the substrate layer and the connecting layer, resulting in good interfacial bonding between the functional layer and the substrate layer, thereby reducing the probability of functional layer detachment and improving the overall reliability of the structural component.
[0042] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description
[0043] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a structural component according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0045] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a structural component according to another exemplary embodiment.
[0046] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a structural component according to another exemplary embodiment.
[0047] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a structural component according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation
[0048] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of the invention as detailed in the appended claims.
[0049] With technological advancements, users' demands for portability in electronic devices are gradually increasing. Besides optimizing the lightweight structure of components like chips and batteries within electronic devices, the materials used for structural support and protection can also be optimized for portability. Compared to structural components made of materials like aluminum alloys and stainless steel, fiber composites offer advantages such as high specific strength, corrosion resistance, and low density, making them suitable for manufacturing structural components in electronic devices and contributing to their portability. However, fiber composites are composed of fibers and a resin matrix, making them poor conductors. Their conductivity differs significantly from that of electrical wires, resulting in strong wave absorption characteristics and the generation of high-order harmonics. This affects the antenna signals and radio frequency efficiency of electronic devices, potentially leading to spurious radiation problems and hindering their radiation performance, thus significantly limiting their application in communication equipment.
[0050] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a structural component, including a substrate layer and a functional layer. The substrate layer is a fiber composite material, and its surface is provided with a preset texture. The functional layer includes a connecting layer and a conductive layer stacked sequentially, with the connecting layer covering the surface of the substrate layer. The present disclosure provides a conductive functional layer on the surface of the fiber composite substrate layer, thereby improving the conductivity of the substrate layer to mitigate or avoid the impact of the structural component on the radiation performance of radio frequency or antennas, and reducing the probability of radiated spurious emissions. Simultaneously, the preset texture on the surface of the substrate layer can enhance the adhesion between the substrate layer and the connecting layer, resulting in good interfacial bonding between the functional layer and the substrate layer, thereby reducing the probability of functional layer detachment and improving the overall reliability of the structural component.
[0051] This disclosure provides an exemplary embodiment of a structural component, with reference to... Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a structural component according to an exemplary embodiment. The structural component 100 includes a substrate layer 10 and a functional layer 20 stacked together. Since the functional layer 20 includes a connecting layer 21 and a conductive layer 22, the structural component 100 has a certain degree of conductivity, which can reduce or avoid the influence of the substrate layer 10 on the radiation performance of the radio frequency or antenna. Therefore, the structural component 100 can be a structural support assembly disposed near the location of the radio frequency module or antenna module, such as a battery cover, a mid-frame, a hinge, a screen support, etc.
[0052] The substrate layer 10 serves as the main structure of the structural component 100. The substrate layer 10 is formed of a fiber composite material, which includes reinforcing fibers and a resin matrix that impregnates and fixes the fibers. The reinforcing fibers may include one or more of carbon fiber, glass fiber, basalt fiber, polyester fiber, aramid fiber, polyaryl ester fiber, polyamide fiber, and polyvinyl alcohol fiber. The reinforcing fibers possess advantages such as good mechanical strength, high modulus, high specific performance, no creep, and good corrosion resistance. Compared to metallic materials, they also have a lower density, resulting in a lighter substrate layer 10 with good mechanical properties.
[0053] The resin matrix impregnates and bonds the reinforcing fibers, serving to orient and position the reinforcing fibers and transfer stress when the fiber composite is subjected to force. The resin matrix can be a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin. For example, the resin matrix may include one or more of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, nylon, polycarbonate, or polyoxymethylene, or one or more of phenolic resin, amino resin, or unsaturated polyester, or one or more of epoxy resin, polyurethane, or polyester.
[0054] Fiber composite materials have a specific strength and specific modulus several times greater than those of stainless steel, aluminum alloys, and other metallic materials. They also possess excellent chemical stability, corrosion resistance, and low density. Compared to stainless steel and other metallic materials, they not only reduce the weight of structural component 100 but also ensure that structural component 100 has sufficient structural strength to meet both strength and lightweight requirements. In some examples, the reinforcing fibers in the fiber composite material may include carbon fibers; that is, the fiber composite material forming the matrix layer 10 may be a carbon fiber composite material.
[0055] The surface of the substrate layer 10 has a preset texture 11. The preset texture 11 can be any shape of texture pre-set by a technician, such as a regular texture or an irregular texture. The preset texture 11 can include one or more textures. In some examples, the preset texture 11 can include, but is not limited to, striped textures, wavy textures, dotted textures, grid textures, woven textures, V-shaped textures, etc.
[0056] Compared to the substrate layer 10 with a smooth surface, the substrate layer 10 with a preset texture 11 has a higher surface roughness, resulting in a higher dyne value. A dyne is a unit used to express force; the dyne value, also known as surface tension or surface tension coefficient, refers to the force exerted between two adjacent parts of a liquid surface per unit length. The higher the dyne value of a material surface, the easier it is for the material to be colored or adhered to. In this disclosure, the preset texture 11 on the surface of the substrate layer 10 allows for a higher dyne value, resulting in better interfacial adhesion between the functional layer 20 and the substrate layer 10.
[0057] It is understood that the preset texture 11 can be set based on the position of the functional layer 20. When the functional layer 20 covers one side of the substrate layer 10, the preset texture 11 can be set on one side of the substrate layer 10 covered by the functional layer 20; when the functional layer 20 covers two opposite surfaces of the substrate layer 10, the preset texture 11 is set on the two opposite surfaces of the substrate layer 10.
[0058] The preset texture 11 can be formed by roughening the surface of the substrate layer 10. Surface roughening treatments can include, for example, acid etching, alkaline etching, plasma treatment, laser engraving, texture release paper molding, etc. Since surface roughening treatments such as acid etching, alkaline etching, plasma treatment, and laser engraving will damage the surface structure of the substrate layer 10, although they can make the functional layer 20 and the substrate layer 10 fit well during the formation of the structural component 100, this type of surface roughening treatment may expose the reinforcing fiber body covered by the resin matrix. Since the reinforcing fiber body has high hardness and strong inertness, the surface adhesion between the functional layer 20 and the substrate layer 10 is weak, resulting in a high risk of the functional layer 20 falling off during the use of the structural component 100. Therefore, compared to using surface roughening treatments such as acid etching, alkaline etching, plasma treatment, and laser engraving to form the preset texture 11, in some examples, during the fabrication of the substrate layer 10, textured release paper can be covered on the surface of the substrate layer 10 and pressed together to transfer the texture on the release paper to the surface of the substrate layer 10, thereby forming the preset texture 11. In this way, while increasing the dyne value of the surface of the substrate layer 10, obvious exposure of the reinforcing fibers can be avoided, reducing or eliminating the probability of functional layer 20 falling off.
[0059] In some examples, the dyne value of the surface of the substrate layer 10 with the preset texture 11 is greater than or equal to 36 N / m, so that the surface of the substrate layer 10 has sufficient adhesion to avoid false adhesion between the connecting layer 21 in the functional layer 20 and the surface of the substrate layer 10, and to reduce the risk of the connecting layer 21 falling off the surface of the substrate layer 10.
[0060] In some examples, reference Figure 2 As shown, the substrate layer 10 includes multiple layers of prepreg 12, meaning that the substrate layer 10 can be formed by laminating and pressing multiple layers of prepreg 12. The prepreg 12 is a composition of resin matrix and reinforcing fibers, made by impregnating continuous fibers or fiber fabrics with a resin matrix under certain conditions, and serves as an intermediate material for manufacturing fiber composite materials. To form the substrate layer 10 using multiple layers of prepreg 12, textured release paper can be placed on the upper and / or lower surfaces of the layers after lamination. The multilayer prepreg 12 with textured release paper is then hot-pressed to fuse the resin matrix in the prepreg 12 and transfer the texture from the release paper to the surface of the formed substrate layer 10.
[0061] Based on the physical state of the reinforcing fibers in the prepreg 12, the prepreg 12 can include unidirectional prepreg, unidirectional woven prepreg, and woven prepreg. In some examples, the orientation of the reinforcing fibers in the multiple layers of prepreg 12 in the substrate layer 10 can be set according to the direction of the stress borne by the structural member 100, so that the structural member 100 has overall mechanical strength. For example, when the prepreg 12 includes woven prepreg, since the reinforcing material in the woven prepreg is a fiber fabric with uniform mechanical properties, the multiple layers of woven prepreg can be directly laminated and pressed to form the substrate layer 10. As another example, when the prepreg 12 includes unidirectional woven prepreg or unidirectional prepreg, since the reinforcing fibers in the prepreg 12 have a certain orientation, when the multiple layers of prepreg 12 are laminated, the directions of the continuous fibers or unidirectional fabric in the multiple layers of prepreg 12 can be staggered, so that the reinforcing fibers in the formed substrate layer 10 have a certain orientation, thereby giving the formed structural member 100 good mechanical strength.
[0062] In some examples, when the substrate layer 10 includes multiple layers of prepreg 12, the multiple layers of prepreg 12 are symmetrically arranged in the thickness direction of the substrate layer 10. That is, in the thickness direction of the substrate layer 10, the reinforcing fibers in the prepreg 12 on both sides of the substrate layer 10 have the same arrangement, so that the two sides of the substrate layer 10 have the same mechanical properties and the structural member 100 has good and uniform mechanical strength.
[0063] For example, when the prepreg 12 includes a unidirectional fabric prepreg or a unidirectional prepreg, with the length direction of the substrate layer 10 as the reference direction, and the direction of the reinforcing fibers in the prepreg 12 being parallel to the reference direction, the direction of the reinforcing fibers in the prepreg 12 is defined as 0°. In some examples, when the substrate layer 10 includes an even number of prepreg layers 12, for example, when the substrate layer 10 includes four prepreg layers 12, the fiber arrangement directions in the four prepreg layers 12 along the thickness direction of the substrate layer 10 can be 0° / 90° / 90° / 0° sequentially, so that the four prepreg layers 12 are symmetrically arranged in the thickness direction of the substrate layer 10. In other examples, when the substrate layer 10 includes an odd number of prepreg layers 12, for example, when the substrate layer 10 includes five prepreg layers 12, the fiber arrangement direction in the five prepreg layers 12 can be 0° / 90° / 0° / 90° / 0° or 45° / -45° / 0° / -45° / 45° in sequence along the thickness direction of the substrate layer 10. In this way, with the middle prepreg layer 12 as the axis of symmetry, the multiple prepreg layers 12 are symmetrically arranged in the thickness direction of the substrate layer 10.
[0064] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the structural component 100 further includes a functional layer 20 disposed on the surface of the substrate layer 10. The functional layer 20 may cover part or all of the surface of the substrate layer 10. The functional layer 20 includes a connecting layer 21 and a conductive layer 22 stacked together. The connecting layer 21 covers the surface of the substrate layer 10. The conductive layer 22 is conductive and is used to realize the conductive function of the functional layer 20. The conductive layer 22 may be formed of a conductive material, such as conductive metals, graphite, graphene, conductive polymers, etc. The conductive functional layer 20 disposed on the surface of the substrate layer 10 can improve the conductivity of the substrate layer 10, thereby reducing or avoiding the impact of the substrate layer 10 on the radiation performance of radio frequency or antennas, thus reducing the probability of radiated spurious problems and improving the radiation performance of radio frequency and antennas.
[0065] One side of the connecting layer 21 contacts the preset texture 11 on the surface of the substrate layer 10, and the other side is used to contact the conductive layer 22. The connecting layer 21 serves to bridge the conductive layer 22 and the substrate layer 10, enabling them to be firmly bonded together. The connecting layer 21 can be formed using a material that has a certain bonding force with both the substrate layer 10 and the conductive layer 22. In some examples, when the material of the conductive layer 22 includes graphite, graphene, conductive polymers, etc., the material of the connecting layer 21 can include a coupling agent. The coupling agent molecule contains two groups with different chemical properties: one is an inorganic-loving group that can chemically react with the surface of inorganic materials, such as the material forming the conductive layer 22; the other is an organic-loving group that can chemically react with the polymer (the resin matrix in the fiber composite material forming the substrate layer 10) or form hydrogen bonds and dissolve therein. Coupling agents may include, but are not limited to, aluminate coupling agents, titanate coupling agents, phosphate coupling agents, zirconate coupling agents, stannate coupling agents, boride coupling agents, silane coupling agents, etc.
[0066] In other examples, when the material of the conductive layer 22 includes a conductive metal, the material of the connecting layer 21 may include, for example, a resin that has a certain bonding force with the substrate layer 10 and metal powder that has a bonding force with the metal atoms of the conductive layer 22, so that the conductive layer 22 is tightly bonded to the substrate layer 10 through the connecting layer 21.
[0067] In addition, since the surface of the substrate layer 10 is provided with a preset texture 11, the adhesion of the surface of the substrate layer 10 is high. When the connecting layer 21 comes into contact with the surface of the substrate layer 10, the material of the connecting layer 21 can not only form a certain chemical bond with the surface of the substrate layer 10, but also embed the material of the connecting layer 21 into the preset texture 11 to form a physical interlocking structure, so as to further enhance the interfacial bonding force between the substrate layer 10 and the functional layer 20.
[0068] In some examples, reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, since metals have good electrical conductivity, the second metal material forming the conductive layer 22 can include a highly conductive elemental metal, such as at least one of silver, copper, and gold. Because the reinforcing fibers in the fiber composite material are typically pre-oxidized before leaving the factory, their surfaces contain certain active groups such as C=O, COC, Si-OH, and other polar groups. These polar groups can have a certain mechanical bonding force with some metals. Therefore, the material of the connecting layer 21 used to bridge the substrate layer 10 and the conductive layer 22 can be a first metal material with a certain mechanical bonding force with the polar groups. For example, the first metal material can include at least one of copper, nickel, titanium, copper alloys, nickel alloys, and titanium alloys that have a certain bonding force with the substrate layer 10. Simultaneously, because metal atoms have strong attractive forces, making it difficult to break the metal bonds, the first metal material can also have good bonding force with the conductive layer 22, thereby improving the structural reliability of the structural component 100.
[0069] In some examples, when both the connecting layer 21 and the conductive layer 22 in the functional layer 20 are made of metallic materials, the thicknesses of the connecting layer 21 and the conductive layer 22 are set within a certain range. If the thickness of the functional layer 20 is too large, the weight of the structural component 100 will be too large, affecting the lightweight design of the structural component 100; if the thickness of the functional layer 20 is too small, the functional layer 20 cannot effectively improve the conductivity of the substrate layer 10. For example, the thickness of the connecting layer 21 can be between 10 nm and 200 nm. If the thickness is too small, it cannot effectively bridge the conductive layer 22 and the substrate layer 10; if the thickness is too large, it affects the lightweight design of the structural component 100. For example, the thickness of the conductive layer 22 can be between 10 nm and 800 nm. If the thickness is too small, the conductivity of the conductive layer 22 cannot effectively improve the conductivity of the substrate layer 10.
[0070] In some examples, reference Figure 3 As shown, to prevent the conductivity of the conductive layer 22 in the functional layer 20 from being affected by external air, moisture, etc., the functional layer 20 also includes a protective layer 23. The protective layer 23 covers the surface of the conductive layer 22 and can be formed of a material with good stability. In some examples, the protective layer 23 may include a polymer material with good stability, such as polyurethane, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, etc. In other examples, the protective layer 23 may include a metallic material with good stability. While providing good protection for the conductive layer 22, this also ensures good adhesion between the protective layer 23 and the conductive layer 22, thereby improving the structural reliability of the structural component 100.
[0071] In some examples, the material of the protective layer 23 includes a third metallic material with good stability. Tin exhibits good chemical stability because it forms a tin dioxide protective film on its surface in air. Aluminum also exhibits good stability because it forms a dense aluminum oxide film on its surface in air. Nickel is difficult to oxidize in air and has good ductility and plasticity. Therefore, the third metallic material forming the protective layer 23 can include one or more of tin, aluminum, nickel, aluminum alloys, and nickel alloys. In some examples, the material of the protective layer 23 can include nickel or a nickel alloy.
[0072] If the thickness of the protective layer 23 is too large, it will easily affect the conductivity of the functional layer 20, and the functional layer 20 will not be able to effectively improve the conductivity of the substrate layer 10. If the thickness of the protective layer 23 is too small, the protective layer 23 will not be able to provide good protection for the conductive layer 22. In some examples, the thickness of the protective layer 23 is set within a reasonable range, for example, between 10 nm and 200 nm.
[0073] In some examples, a cross-cut adhesion test is performed on a structural component 100 comprising a substrate layer 10 and a functional layer 20. This test assesses the surface adhesion of the substrate layer 10. The structural component 100 is cut using a cross-cut adhesion tester, leaving a grid pattern on its surface. After removing powder and debris from the surface of the structural component 100, a specified test adhesive tape is applied to the grid pattern on the surface of the structural component 100, ensuring a tight bond. The tape is then instantly removed with sufficient force to check for any peeling. The cross-cut adhesion test confirms that there is no peeling at the edges of the cut marks or at the grid intersections, achieving a 5B rating. This indicates that the substrate layer 10 with the preset texture 11 has good surface adhesion, and that there is good bonding between the substrate layer 10 and the functional layer 20.
[0074] In one exemplary embodiment, this disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a structural component, referring to... Figure 4 As shown, the manufacturing method of structural components may include the following steps:
[0075] Step S100: Provide a substrate layer, which is a fiber composite material, and the surface of the substrate layer has a preset texture;
[0076] Step S200: A functional layer is formed on the surface of the substrate layer to obtain a structural component;
[0077] The functional layer includes:
[0078] A bonding layer is formed on the surface of the substrate layer;
[0079] A conductive layer is formed on the surface of the connecting layer that is away from the substrate layer.
[0080] In step S100, refer to Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the substrate layer 10 serves as the main structure of the structural component 100. When forming the substrate layer 10, reinforcing fibers can be impregnated into a resin matrix and then hot-pressed to form a fiber composite material with a predetermined structure, i.e., the substrate layer 10. Alternatively, multiple layers of prepreg 12 can be laminated and then hot-pressed to form the substrate layer 10. Fiber composite materials have a specific strength and specific modulus several times greater than metal materials such as stainless steel and aluminum alloys. They possess excellent chemical stability, corrosion resistance, and low density. Compared to metal materials such as stainless steel, they not only reduce the weight of the structural component 100 but also provide sufficient structural strength to meet both strength and lightweight requirements. In some examples, the reinforcing fibers in the fiber composite material may include carbon fibers; that is, the fiber composite material forming the substrate layer 10 can be a carbon fiber composite material.
[0081] The substrate layer 10 has a preset texture 11 formed on its surface. The preset texture 11 can be any shape of texture pre-set by an engineer, such as a regular texture or an irregular texture. The preset texture 11 can include one or more textures. In some examples, the preset texture 11 can include, but is not limited to, striped textures, wavy textures, dotted textures, grid textures, woven textures, V-shaped textures, etc. Compared to a substrate layer 10 with a smooth surface, the surface of the substrate layer 10 with the preset texture 11 has a higher roughness, resulting in a higher dyne value on the surface of the substrate layer 10. This allows for good interfacial adhesion between the subsequently formed functional layer 20 and the substrate layer 10.
[0082] The preset texture 11 can be formed by roughening the surface of the substrate layer 10. Surface roughening treatments can include, for example, acid etching, alkaline etching, plasma treatment, laser engraving, texture release paper molding, etc. Since surface roughening treatments such as acid etching, alkaline etching, plasma treatment, and laser engraving will damage the surface structure of the substrate layer 10, although they can make the functional layer 20 and the substrate layer 10 fit well during the formation of the structural component 100, this type of surface roughening treatment may expose the reinforcing fiber body covered by the resin matrix. Since the reinforcing fiber body has high hardness and strong inertness, the surface adhesion between the functional layer 20 and the substrate layer 10 is weak, resulting in a high risk of the functional layer 20 falling off during the use of the structural component 100. Therefore, compared to using surface roughening treatments such as acid etching, alkaline etching, plasma treatment, and laser engraving to form the preset texture 11, in some examples, during the fabrication of the substrate layer 10, textured release paper can be covered on the surface of the substrate layer 10 and pressed together to transfer the texture on the release paper to the surface of the substrate layer 10, thereby forming the preset texture 11. In this way, while increasing the dyne value of the surface of the substrate layer 10, obvious exposure of the reinforcing fibers can be avoided, reducing or eliminating the probability of functional layer 20 falling off.
[0083] In some examples, the dyne value of the surface of the substrate layer 10 with the preset texture 11 is greater than or equal to 36 N / m, so that the surface of the substrate layer 10 has sufficient adhesion to avoid false adhesion between the connecting layer 21 in the functional layer 20 and the surface of the substrate layer 10, and to reduce the risk of the connecting layer 21 falling off the surface of the substrate layer 10.
[0084] It is understood that the preset texture 11 can be set based on the position of the functional layer 20. When the functional layer 20 covers one side of the substrate layer 10, the preset texture 11 can be set on one side of the substrate layer 10 covered by the functional layer 20; when the functional layer 20 covers two opposite surfaces of the substrate layer 10, the preset texture 11 is set on the two opposite surfaces of the substrate layer 10.
[0085] In some possible implementations, step S100, the method of forming the substrate layer may include the following steps:
[0086] Step S110: Stack the multilayer prepregs and cover at least one side of the stacked multilayer prepregs with textured release paper;
[0087] Step S120: Under the first preset conditions, the multilayer prepreg and textured release paper are pressed together;
[0088] Step S130: Remove the textured release paper to obtain a substrate layer blank, the surface of which has a preset texture;
[0089] Step S140: Under the second preset conditions, the substrate layer blank is finely processed to obtain the substrate layer.
[0090] In this embodiment, reference Figure 2 As shown, the substrate layer 10 is formed by laminating multiple layers of prepreg. Since the preset texture 11 is used to enhance the bonding force between the substrate layer 10 and the functional layer 20, based on the position of the functional layer 20 on the substrate layer 10, the preset texture 11 can be formed on part or all of the surface of the substrate layer 10. Therefore, after laminating multiple layers of prepreg 12, a textured release paper is covered on one or both surfaces of the laminated multiple layers of prepreg 12. The texture on the release paper corresponds to the preset texture 11, and may include, for example, striped textures, wavy textures, dotted textures, grid textures, woven textures, V-shaped textures, etc. Under the first preset condition, the multiple layers of prepreg 12 and the textured release paper are laminated together, so that the multiple layers of prepreg 12 adhere to each other, and the texture on the release paper is transferred to the surface of the formed substrate layer blank, that is, the preset texture 11 is formed on the surface of the substrate layer blank. Because a mold of a certain shape is used during the pressing process, the edges of the substrate layer blank obtained by pressing are prone to have excess skirts. Under the second preset condition, the substrate layer blank is finely processed to remove the skirts on the edges of the substrate layer blank, so that the obtained substrate layer 10 has the same shape as the preset shape and has good dimensional accuracy.
[0091] When stacking multiple prepregs 12, the stacking method of the multiple prepregs 12 can be set based on the physical state of the reinforcing fibers in the prepregs 12, so that the resulting substrate layer 10 has good mechanical distribution. In some examples, when the prepreg 12 is a fabric prepreg, since the reinforcing material in the fabric prepreg is a fiber fabric with uniform mechanical properties, multiple fabric prepregs can be directly stacked to form the substrate layer 10.
[0092] In other examples, when the prepreg 12 is a unidirectional prepreg or a unidirectional woven prepreg, since the reinforcing fibers have a certain orientation, when the multilayer prepreg 12 is stacked, the directions of the continuous fibers or unidirectional fabrics in the multilayer prepreg 12 can be staggered, so that the reinforcing fibers in the formed substrate layer 10 have a certain orientation, thereby making the formed structural component 100 have good mechanical strength.
[0093] In some examples, when the substrate layer 10 includes multiple layers of prepreg 12, the multiple layers of prepreg 12 are stacked symmetrically in the thickness direction of the substrate layer 10. That is, when the multiple layers of prepreg 12 are stacked, the reinforcing fibers in the prepreg 12 on both sides of the substrate layer 10 are arranged in the same way in the thickness direction of the substrate layer 10, so that the two sides of the substrate layer 10 have the same mechanical properties and the structural member 100 has good and uniform mechanical strength.
[0094] For example, when the prepreg 12 includes a unidirectional fabric prepreg or a unidirectional prepreg, with the length direction of the substrate layer 10 as the reference direction, and the direction of the reinforcing fibers in the prepreg 12 being parallel to the reference direction, the direction of the reinforcing fibers in the prepreg 12 is defined as 0°. In some examples, when the substrate layer 10 includes an even number of layers of prepreg 12, for example, when the substrate layer 10 includes four layers of prepreg 12, the fiber arrangement direction of the four stacked layers of prepreg 12 along the thickness direction of the substrate layer 10 can be 0° / 90° / 90° / 0° in sequence, so that the four layers of prepreg 12 are symmetrically arranged in the thickness direction of the substrate layer 10. In other examples, when the substrate layer 10 includes an odd number of prepreg layers 12, for example, when the substrate layer 10 includes five prepreg layers 12, the fiber arrangement direction of the stacked five prepreg layers 12 along the thickness direction of the substrate layer 10 can be 0° / 90° / 0° / 90° / 0° or 45° / -45° / 0° / -45° / 45°. In this way, with the middle prepreg layer 12 as the axis of symmetry, the multiple layers of prepreg 12 are symmetrically arranged along the thickness direction of the substrate layer 10. Of course, the specific arrangement direction of the prepreg 12 in the substrate layer 10 can be set according to requirements, and this disclosure does not impose any limitations.
[0095] Understandably, the prepreg 12 can be pre-cut into the shape of the structural component 100, with dimensions slightly larger than the required size of the structural component 100. One or more openings can be provided at the edges of the prepreg 12 as positioning grooves. When stacking the prepreg 12, it can be placed in a stacking mold or directly in a pressing mold. Positioning posts can be provided at the corresponding edges of the stacking or pressing mold. When the prepreg 12 is placed in the stacking or pressing mold, the positioning grooves can engage with the positioning posts. In this way, misalignment or displacement of the multilayer prepreg 12 during the stacking or pressing process can be avoided, ensuring that the performance of the resulting substrate layer 10 meets expectations.
[0096] The first preset conditions used during the pressing process can be conditions that cause the resin matrix in the prepreg 12 to change from a solid state to a liquid or gel state, so that the multiple layers of prepreg 12 can be bonded together. These conditions may include, for example, pressing temperature, pressing time, pressing pressure, etc. In some examples, the preset conditions may include: setting the pressing temperature between 50℃ and 200℃, setting the pressing pressure between 0.1MPa and 0.9MPa, and setting the pressing time between 1min and 20min.
[0097] Understandably, before the multilayer prepreg 12 is laminated, a mold can be made based on the shape and size of the structural component 100. The stacked multilayer prepreg 12 is then placed in the mold, with the textured side of the release paper facing the prepreg 12 and the other side adhering to the mold. During the lamination process, the resin matrix in the prepreg 12 changes from solid to liquid or gel, thus adhering to and forming the prepreg under pressure. After lamination, the textured release paper is peeled off to obtain a substrate layer preform with a pre-defined texture 11 on its surface.
[0098] In some examples, after the multilayer prepreg 12 is pressed and the release paper is removed, a pressure-holding fixture can be used to hold the substrate prepreg in pressure before it cools down. Pressure holding applies continuous pressure to the substrate prepreg to compact it, compensate for minor deformations caused by stress shrinkage during prepreg forming, reduce its porosity, and improve its uniformity.
[0099] After the substrate blank undergoes pressure holding and cooling to set its shape, the shape and size of the substrate blank are stable. The substrate blank then undergoes a finishing process to remove excess skirts generated during manufacturing and positioning grooves on its edges. This adjusts the shape and size deviations between the substrate blank and the predetermined substrate layer, ensuring the resulting substrate layer 10 has good dimensional accuracy, thus ensuring the formed structural component 100 also has good dimensional accuracy. For example, the finishing process may include cutting, CNC machining, laser cutting, etc., to remove excess skirts that may have been generated during the substrate blank forming process. The second preset condition used in the finishing process can be the process parameters corresponding to the finishing method. For example, when the finishing process includes CNC machining, the second preset condition may include cutting rotation speed, cutting feed speed, etc.; when the finishing process includes laser cutting, the second preset condition may include laser frequency, laser cutting speed, etc.
[0100] In some examples, finishing processes include laser cutting. Since the substrate blank is a non-metallic material, laser vaporization cutting can be used. Compared to other cutting methods, laser cutting offers advantages such as high dimensional accuracy, aesthetically pleasing cuts, minimal workpiece deformation, minimal impact on material properties, and high cutting speed. During laser cutting, markers are first placed on the edge of the substrate blank for positioning. The laser beam moves based on these markers. When the laser beam irradiates the surface, the material at the junction of the skirt and the substrate blank vaporizes to form steam. Simultaneously, the steam ejects, creating a cut at the junction of the skirt and the substrate blank, thus removing the skirt from the substrate blank to obtain the substrate layer 10. The second preset conditions used during laser cutting include laser cutting speed and laser frequency. The laser cutting speed can be set between 100mm / min and 300mm / min. If the laser cutting speed is too high, the laser will not be able to cut the skirt edge, and if it is too slow, it will affect efficiency. The laser frequency can also be set between 30kHz and 150kHz. If the laser frequency is too low, the skirt edge will not be able to be cut, and if the laser frequency is too high, the skirt edge will be easily burned, affecting the appearance.
[0101] In step S200, since the functional layer 20 includes a connecting layer 21 and a conductive layer 22 stacked together, when forming the functional layer 20, the connecting layer 21 is first formed on the surface of the substrate layer 10, and then the conductive layer 22 is formed on the surface of the connecting layer 21. One side of the connecting layer 21 contacts the preset texture 11 on the surface of the substrate layer 10, and the other side contacts the conductive layer 22. The connecting layer 21 is used to bridge the conductive layer 22 and the substrate layer 10 so that the two can be firmly bonded together. The connecting layer 21 can be formed of a material that has a certain bonding force with both the substrate layer 10 and the conductive layer 22. Since the surface of the substrate layer 10 is provided with the preset texture 11, the adhesion of the surface of the substrate layer 10 is high. When the connecting layer 21 contacts the surface of the substrate layer 10, the material of the connecting layer 21 can form a certain chemical bond with the surface of the substrate layer 10. The material of the connecting layer 21 can also be embedded into the preset texture 11 to form a physical interlocking structure, so as to further improve the interfacial bonding force between the substrate layer 10 and the functional layer 20.
[0102] When forming the bonding layer 21, a suitable forming method is selected based on the material of the bonding layer 21. In some examples, when the material of the bonding layer 21 includes a coupling agent or a film material formed by combining resin and metal powder, the bonding layer 21 can be formed on the surface of the substrate layer 10 by spraying, coating, screen printing, or other methods. In other examples, when the material of the bonding layer 21 includes a metallic material, the bonding layer 21 can be formed on the surface of the substrate layer 10 by physical vapor deposition methods such as electroplating, sputtering, magnetron sputtering, or other methods.
[0103] The conductive layer 22 is formed of a conductive material, such as conductive metals, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes, conductive polymers, etc. The conductive functional layer 20 is disposed on the surface of the substrate layer 10, which can improve the conductivity of the substrate layer 10, thereby mitigating or avoiding the impact of the substrate layer 10 on the radiation performance of the radio frequency or antenna, thus reducing the probability of radiated spurious emissions and improving the radiation performance of the radio frequency and antenna.
[0104] When forming the conductive layer 22, an appropriate formation method is selected based on the material of the conductive layer 22. In some examples, when the material of the conductive layer 22 includes conductive metals, graphite, etc., physical vapor deposition methods such as electroplating, sputtering, magnetron sputtering, etc., can be used to form the conductive layer 22 on the surface of the connecting layer 21 away from the substrate layer 10. In other examples, when the material of the conductive layer 22 includes conductive polymers, vacuum evaporation, spraying, coating, screen printing, etc., can be used to form the conductive layer 22 on the surface of the connecting layer 21 away from the substrate layer 10. In still other examples, when the material of the conductive layer 22 includes graphene, carbon nanotubes, etc., graphene or carbon nanotubes can be used as a spraying liquid, and the conductive layer 22 can be formed on the surface of the connecting layer 21 away from the substrate layer 10 by spraying, coating, etc.
[0105] In some possible implementations, step S200, forming a functional layer, includes:
[0106] Step S210: A first metal material is deposited on the surface of the substrate layer to form a bonding layer;
[0107] Step S220: A second metal material is deposited on the surface of the connecting layer to form a conductive layer.
[0108] In this embodiment, reference Figures 1 to 3 As shown, since metals have good electrical conductivity, the second metal material forming the conductive layer 22 can include a highly conductive elemental metal, such as at least one of silver, copper, and gold. Because the reinforcing fibers in the fiber composite material are typically pre-oxidized before leaving the factory, their surfaces contain certain active groups such as C=O, COC, Si-OH, and other polar groups. These polar groups can have a certain mechanical bonding force with some metals. Therefore, the material of the connecting layer 21 used to bridge the substrate layer 10 and the conductive layer 22 can be a first metal material with a certain mechanical bonding force with the polar groups. For example, the first metal material can include at least one of copper, nickel, titanium, copper alloys, nickel alloys, and titanium alloys that have a certain bonding force with the substrate layer 10. Simultaneously, because metal atoms have strong attractive forces, making it difficult to break the metal bonds, the first metal material can also have good bonding force with the conductive layer 22, thereby improving the structural reliability of the structural component 100.
[0109] When forming the connecting layer 21 and the conductive layer 22, since both the connecting layer 21 and the conductive layer 22 are metallic materials, physical vapor deposition methods such as electroplating, sputtering, and magnetron sputtering can be used to form the connecting layer 21 and the conductive layer 22 sequentially, forming a dense functional layer 20 on the surface of the substrate layer 10 that has good adhesion to the substrate layer 10.
[0110] In some examples, when both the connecting layer 21 and the conductive layer 22 in the functional layer 20 are made of metallic materials, the thicknesses of the connecting layer 21 and the conductive layer 22 are set within a certain range. If the thickness of the functional layer 20 is too large, the weight of the structural component 100 will be too large, affecting the lightweight design of the structural component 100; if the thickness of the functional layer 20 is too small, the functional layer 20 cannot effectively improve the conductivity of the substrate layer 10. For example, the thickness of the connecting layer 21 can be between 10 nm and 200 nm. If the thickness is too small, it cannot effectively bridge the conductive layer 22 and the substrate layer 10; if the thickness is too large, it affects the lightweight design of the structural component 100. For example, the thickness of the conductive layer 22 can be between 10 nm and 800 nm. If the thickness is too small, the conductivity of the conductive layer 22 cannot effectively improve the conductivity of the substrate layer 10.
[0111] In some possible implementations, step S200, forming the functional layer, further includes:
[0112] A protective layer is formed on the surface of the conductive layer away from the connecting layer.
[0113] In this embodiment, reference Figure 3 As shown, in order to prevent the conductivity of the conductive layer 22 in the functional layer 20 from being affected by external air, water vapor, etc., the functional layer 20 also includes a protective layer 23, which is formed on the surface of the conductive layer 22 away from the connecting layer 21. The protective layer 23 covers the surface of the conductive layer 22 and can be formed of a material with good stability.
[0114] When forming the protective layer 23, a suitable forming method is selected based on the material of the protective layer 23. In some examples, when the material of the protective layer 23 includes a polymer material with good stability such as polyurethane, epoxy resin, or phenolic resin, the protective layer 23 can be formed on the surface of the conductive layer 22 away from the connecting layer 21 by methods such as vacuum evaporation or coating.
[0115] In other examples, when the material of the protective layer 23 includes a third metallic material with good stability, such as tin, aluminum, nickel, aluminum alloys, or nickel alloys, the protective layer 23 can be formed on the surface of the conductive layer 22 away from the connecting layer 21 using physical vapor deposition methods such as electroplating, sputtering, or magnetron sputtering. Tin forms a tin dioxide protective film on its surface in air, giving it good chemical stability. Aluminum forms a dense aluminum oxide film on its surface in air, giving it good stability. Nickel is difficult to oxidize in air and has good ductility and plasticity.
[0116] If the thickness of the protective layer 23 is too large, it will easily affect the conductivity of the functional layer 20, and the functional layer 20 will not be able to effectively improve the conductivity of the substrate layer 10. If the thickness of the protective layer 23 is too small, the protective layer 23 will not be able to provide good protection for the conductive layer 22. In some examples, the thickness of the protective layer 23 is set within a reasonable range, for example, between 10 nm and 200 nm.
[0117] This application also provides an electronic device, which may include, but is not limited to, at least one of mobile phones, tablets, and wearable devices. This application does not limit the specific type of electronic device. Specifically, the electronic device may include the structural components provided in the above embodiments of this disclosure. These structural components may be structural support assemblies located near the radio frequency module or antenna module, such as battery covers, mid-frames, hinges, screen supports, etc. The structural components provided in this application have advantages such as light weight, high mechanical strength, and corrosion resistance, and will not negatively affect the radiation performance of the electronic device.
[0118] Other embodiments of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are indicated by the following claims.
[0119] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A structural component, characterized in that, The structural component includes: The substrate layer is a fiber composite material, and the surface of the substrate layer is provided with a preset texture; The functional layer includes a connection layer and a conductive layer stacked sequentially, wherein the connection layer covers the surface of the substrate layer.
2. The structural component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface of the substrate layer with the preset texture has a dyne value greater than or equal to 36 N / m.
3. The structural component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate layer includes multiple layers of prepreg, which include unidirectional prepreg, unidirectional fabric prepreg, or fabric prepreg.
4. The structural component according to claim 3, characterized in that, Multiple layers of the prepreg are symmetrically arranged in the thickness direction of the substrate layer.
5. The structural component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting layer includes a first metallic material, which includes at least one of copper, nickel, titanium, copper alloy, nickel alloy, and titanium alloy. The conductive layer includes a second metallic material, which includes at least one of silver, copper, and gold.
6. The structural component according to claim 5, characterized in that, The thickness of the connecting layer is 10nm-200nm; and / or, The thickness of the conductive layer is 10nm-800nm.
7. The structural component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The functional layer also includes a protective layer that covers the surface of the conductive layer.
8. The structural component according to claim 7, characterized in that, The protective layer comprises a third metallic material, which includes at least one selected from tin, aluminum, nickel, aluminum alloys, and nickel alloys; and / or, The thickness of the protective layer is 10nm-200nm.
9. A method for manufacturing a structural component, characterized in that, The method for manufacturing the structural component includes: A substrate layer is formed, wherein the substrate layer is a fiber composite material, and a predetermined texture is formed on the surface of the substrate layer; A functional layer is formed on the surface of the substrate layer to obtain the structural component; The functional layer includes: A bonding layer is formed on the surface of the substrate layer; A conductive layer is formed on the surface of the connecting layer opposite to the substrate layer.
10. The method for manufacturing a structural component according to claim 9, characterized in that forming the substrate layer comprises: A multilayer prepreg is stacked, and a textured release paper is covered on at least one surface of the stacked multilayer prepreg. Under a first preset condition, the multilayer prepreg and the textured release paper are pressed together; Remove the textured release paper to obtain a substrate layer blank, the surface of which has the preset texture; Under the second preset conditions, the substrate layer blank is refined to obtain the substrate layer.
11. The method for manufacturing a structural component according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first preset conditions include: a pressing temperature of 50℃-200℃, a pressing pressure of 0.1MPa-0.9MPa, and a pressing time of 1min-20min.
12. The method for manufacturing a structural component according to claim 10, characterized in that, The finishing process includes laser cutting; The second preset conditions include: laser frequency of 30kHz-150kHz and laser cutting speed of 100mm / min-300mm / min.
13. The method for manufacturing a structural component according to claim 9, characterized in that, The formation of the functional layer includes: A first metallic material is disposed on the surface of the substrate layer to form the connecting layer; A second metallic material is disposed on the surface of the connecting layer to form the conductive layer; The first metallic material includes at least one of copper, nickel, copper alloy, and nickel alloy, and the second metallic material includes at least one of silver, copper, and gold.
14. The method for manufacturing a structural component according to claim 9, characterized in that, The forming functional layer further includes: A protective layer is formed on the surface of the conductive layer opposite to the connecting layer.
15. The method for manufacturing a structural component according to claim 14, characterized in that, The formation of the protective layer includes: A third metal material is disposed on the surface of the conductive layer to form the protective layer; wherein the third metal material includes at least one of tin, aluminum, nickel, aluminum alloy, and nickel alloy.
16. An electronic device, characterized in that, The electronic device includes the structural component as described in any one of claims 1-8.