Housing, method of manufacturing the same, and electronic device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a shell, a preparation method thereof and an electronic device. The shell comprises a substrate layer, a non-conductive plating film layer and a resin material layer arranged in layers, the substrate layer comprises a composite material of short fibers and resin, and the surface of the substrate layer close to the non-conductive plating film layer has exposed short fibers; the non-conductive plating film layer comprises an alternating layering structure of a first material layer and a second material layer along the thickness direction or a sandwich structure formed by two first material layers and an indium layer sandwiched between the two first material layers; the refractive index of the second material layer is greater than that of the first material layer, and the refractive index of the second material layer and the indium layer is greater than that of the resin in the fiber composite material; and the visible light transmittance of the resin material layer is above 50%. The shell can present a forging line effect of the short fibers and has good electromagnetic wave transmittance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electronic device technology, specifically to a housing, its manufacturing method, and an electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] Fiber composites are composite materials composed of fiber reinforcement and a matrix material (such as resin). They possess advantages such as light weight and high strength, making them suitable for use as housings in consumer electronic devices. However, among current fiber composite housings formed from resin and fibers, only those using carbon fiber exhibit good fiber luster, while fiber composites using other fibers (such as glass fiber, polyester fiber, and aramid fiber) struggle to achieve sufficient fiber luster. Furthermore, the conductive properties of carbon fiber limit its application in scenarios requiring electromagnetic wave transmission, such as mobile phone back covers. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a non-conductive fiber composite housing with a pronounced fiber luster. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, embodiments of this application provide a housing, a method for manufacturing the same, and an electronic device. The housing is made of a non-conductive chopped fiber composite material, and through its combination with relevant film layers, the forging texture effect of the non-conductive chopped fibers is enhanced, thereby improving the aesthetic appearance of the housing and providing good electromagnetic wave permeability.

[0004] A first aspect of this application provides a housing, the housing comprising:

[0005] A base layer having a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other, the base layer comprising a fiber composite material containing chopped fibers and resin, the first surface of the base layer having exposed chopped fibers, the chopped fibers comprising non-conductive chopped fibers;

[0006] A non-conductive coating layer is disposed on the first surface of the substrate layer. The non-conductive coating layer comprises an alternating stacked structure of a first material layer and a second material layer along the thickness direction, or a sandwich structure comprising two first material layers and an indium layer sandwiched between the two first material layers. The refractive index of the second material layer is greater than that of the first material layer, and the refractive indices of both the second material layer and the indium layer are greater than the refractive index of the resin in the fiber composite material. Each first material layer comprises one of a silicon oxide layer, an aluminum oxide layer, and an aluminum silicon oxide layer. Each second material layer comprises one of a niobium oxide layer, a titanium oxide layer, a niobium nitride layer, a titanium nitride layer, and a silicon nitride layer.

[0007] A resin material layer is disposed on the side of the non-conductive coating layer opposite to the substrate layer, and the visible light transmittance of the resin material layer is greater than or equal to 50%.

[0008] In the aforementioned housing, by utilizing the exposed chopped fibers in the base layer made of chopped fiber composite material, combined with the aforementioned non-conductive coating layer and visible light-transmitting resin material layer located on the base layer, the chopped fiber texture on the surface of the base layer can be well presented on the outer surface of the housing. Thus, the housing can maintain the forged texture effect of non-conductive chopped fibers for a long time, improving its aesthetic appearance. Furthermore, due to the non-conductive nature of the base layer, non-conductive coating layer, and resin material layer, the housing also has good electromagnetic wave transmittance, making it suitable for applications with high requirements for electromagnetic wave transmittance.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the thickness of the non-conductive coating layer is 20 nm-5 μm. In this case, the non-conductive coating layer, while being non-conductive itself, does not completely cover the short-cut fibers exposed on the first surface of the substrate layer, allowing the first surface to maintain its uneven morphology. This facilitates the better display and enhancement of the texture effect of the short-cut fibers in conjunction with the non-conductive coating layer.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, in the alternating stacked structure of the first material layer and the second material layer, at least one of the first material layer and the second material layer has a number of layers greater than or equal to two. This alternating stacking of the first material layer and the second material layer can obtain a non-conductive coating layer with better reflective properties.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, an indium layer is further inserted into the alternating stacked structure of the first material layer and the second material layer, the indium layer being located between any adjacent first material layer and the high refractive index material layer. The presence of the indium layer can further enhance the light reflection effect of the aforementioned non-conductive coating layer.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the thickness of the indium layer is less than or equal to 50 nm. This ensures that the indium layer is essentially non-conductive when the thickness is thin, thus preventing it from affecting the permeability of the casing to electromagnetic waves.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, the length of the non-conductive chopped fibers is 3-30 mm and the diameter is 5-22 μm. This facilitates good dispersion and molding of the fiber composite material in the substrate layer, resulting in a substrate layer with good mechanical properties and appearance.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, the non-conductive chopped fibers in the substrate layer include one or more of basalt chopped fibers, chopped glass fibers, chopped ceramic fibers, chopped quartz fibers, and chopped organic fibers. These chopped fibers are all insulating materials and will not affect the permeability of the substrate layer and shell to electromagnetic waves.

[0015] In some embodiments of this application, the base layer further contains at least one of gold powder, silver powder, and glitter. These decorative powders can have a decorative effect on the base layer, thereby further enriching the appearance of the casing.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, the thickness of the resin material layer is greater than or equal to 5 μm. In this case, the resin material layer can completely cover the exposed chopped fibers of the base layer, thereby reducing the probability of the chopped fibers being worn, and can also have a planarization effect, making the outer surface of the shell feel better.

[0017] In some embodiments of this application, the resin material layer includes a first resin layer and a second resin layer stacked together, the first resin layer being close to the non-conductive coating layer; wherein, the visible light transmittance of the first resin layer is greater than or equal to 50%, the visible light transmittance of the second resin layer is greater than that of the first resin layer, and the hardness of the second resin layer is greater than that of the first resin layer.

[0018] The hardness and visible light transmittance of the second resin layer, which is farther away from the non-conductive coating layer, are both greater than those of the first resin layer, which is closer to the non-conductive coating layer. This way, the superposition of the two resin layers will not affect the texture of the short-cut fibers in the underlying base layer, and will also make the wear resistance of the outer surface of the shell better.

[0019] In some possible embodiments of this application, the first resin layer comprises one or more of thermosetting polyurethane, acrylic resin, or epoxy resin; the second resin layer comprises one or more of UV-curable polyurethane, acrylic resin, or epoxy resin. The thermosetting first resin layer exhibits good adhesion to the non-conductive coating layer, which helps improve the bonding strength between the second resin layer and the non-conductive coating layer. The UV-curable second resin layer has high film density and better wear resistance, further enhancing the wear resistance of the housing surface.

[0020] In some possible embodiments of this application, the thickness of the first resin layer is 5-50 μm; the thickness of the second resin layer is 5-50 μm. Having the thickness of each resin layer within a suitable range advantageously ensures that they are easier to form and that the film has good continuity and uniformity, and also helps to prevent the resin layers from easily detaching.

[0021] In some embodiments of this application, the housing further includes a primer layer disposed between the substrate layer and the non-conductive coating layer; wherein the primer layer comprises one or more of polyurethane, acrylic resin, or epoxy resin. The primer layer can help cover defects on the first surface of the substrate layer and can improve the bonding strength between the non-conductive coating layer and the substrate layer.

[0022] In some possible embodiments of this application, the thickness of the underlayer is less than or equal to 10 μm. This ensures that the underlayer does not completely cover the exposed fibers on the surface of the substrate layer, thus affecting the non-conductive coating layer's ability to reveal the texture of the exposed short-cut fibers in the substrate layer.

[0023] In some embodiments of this application, the housing further includes an ink layer disposed on the second surface of the substrate layer. The ink layer primarily serves a covering function.

[0024] In some embodiments of this application, the housing further includes a second substrate disposed on a second surface of the base layer; wherein the second substrate comprises a metal layer or a fiber braided layer. This enriches the application forms of the aforementioned laminated structure of base layer, non-conductive coating layer and resin material layer, that is, it enriches the application of laminated structures with short-cut fiber forging texture effect.

[0025] In this embodiment of the application, the metal layer includes aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, magnesium alloy or stainless steel; the continuous fibers in the fiber braided layer include one or more of basalt fiber, glass fiber, quartz fiber and organic fiber.

[0026] In some embodiments of this application, an adhesive layer is further included between the second substrate and the base layer. The adhesive layer can help improve the bonding strength between the second substrate and the base layer.

[0027] In other embodiments of this application, the housing further includes an ink layer disposed on the side of the second substrate opposite to the substrate layer. Similarly, the ink layer can serve a masking function.

[0028] A second aspect of this application provides an electronic device, including a circuit board and a housing as described in the first aspect of this application, wherein the housing is assembled on the outside of the electronic device and the circuit board is located inside the housing.

[0029] The electronic device employs the housing described in the embodiments of this application. This housing exhibits a forged texture of non-conductive chopped fibers, resulting in a strong visual appeal and enhancing the market competitiveness of the electronic device. The housing can be a back cover of an electronic device, a camera trim, or a watch case, such as a watch or bracelet.

[0030] A third aspect of this application provides a method for preparing a shell, comprising the following steps:

[0031] A resin-impregnated chopped fiber prepreg is laid in the mold cavity of a mold and sealed, and then molded into a base layer; wherein, the chopped fibers in the chopped fiber prepreg include non-conductive chopped fibers.

[0032] One side surface of the base layer is polished to expose the chopped fibers on the polished surface of the base layer.

[0033] A non-conductive coating layer is formed on the surface of the polished substrate layer; wherein the non-conductive coating layer comprises an alternating stacked structure of a first material layer and a second material layer along the thickness direction, or comprises a sandwich structure formed by two first material layers and an indium layer sandwiched between the two first material layers; wherein the refractive index of the second material layer is greater than that of the first material layer, and the refractive indices of both the second material layer and the indium layer are greater than that of the resin; each first material layer comprises one of a silicon oxide layer, an aluminum oxide layer, and an aluminum silicon oxide layer, and each second material layer comprises one of a niobium oxide layer, a titanium oxide layer, a niobium nitride layer, a titanium nitride layer, and a silicon nitride layer;

[0034] A resin material layer is formed on the non-conductive coating layer; wherein the visible light transmittance of the resin material layer is greater than or equal to 50%.

[0035] The shell fabricated using the above method can exhibit a fibrous luster and forged texture effect on its outer surface, originating from the non-conductive chopped fibers on the substrate surface. This shell fabrication method is simple and easy to operate.

[0036] In some embodiments of this application, the surface roughness Ra of the polished substrate layer is greater than or equal to 5 μm. This reflects the presence of short-cut fibers with a certain degree of unevenness on the polished surface of the substrate layer, thereby allowing the texture effect of the exposed short-cut fibers to be revealed and enhanced by the aforementioned non-conductive coating layer.

[0037] In some embodiments of this application, the thickness of the non-conductive coating layer is 20 nm-5 μm; the thickness of the resin material layer is greater than or equal to 5 μm. The non-conductive coating layer has an appropriate thickness, ensuring its non-conductivity and preventing complete coverage of the exposed chopped fibers on the polished surface of the substrate, thus maintaining an uneven surface. This better facilitates the display and enhancement of the fiber texture effect of the chopped fibers under the cooperation of the non-conductive coating layer. The resin material layer has a thickness of 5 μm or more, which can completely cover the exposed chopped fibers of the substrate, achieving a flattening effect and reducing the probability of wear on the chopped fibers.

[0038] In some embodiments of this application, forming a resin material layer on the non-conductive coating layer may include:

[0039] A first resin composition is coated on the non-conductive coating layer and cured to form a first resin layer, wherein the visible light transmittance of the first resin layer is greater than or equal to 50%.

[0040] A second resin composition is coated onto the first resin layer and cured to form a second resin layer. The visible light transmittance and hardness of the second resin layer are both greater than those of the first resin layer.

[0041] The superimposed structure of the first and second resin layers formed by the above method will not affect the texture of the short-cut fibers in the underlying base layer, and will also help improve the wear resistance of the outer surface of the resulting shell.

[0042] Furthermore, the curing method for forming the first resin layer is thermosetting, and the curing method for forming the second resin layer is UV curing. The thermosetting first resin layer has good adhesion to the non-conductive coating layer, which helps to improve the bonding strength between the second resin layer and the non-conductive coating layer. The UV-cured second resin layer has high film density and better wear resistance, which is more conducive to improving the wear resistance of the shell surface.

[0043] In some embodiments of this application, an underlayer is formed before forming a non-conductive coating layer on the surface of the polished substrate layer; the underlayer includes one or more of polyurethane, acrylic resin, or epoxy resin. The underlayer can help cover defects on the surface of the polished substrate layer and can improve the bonding strength between the non-conductive coating layer and the substrate layer.

[0044] In some embodiments of this application, after forming the resin material layer, the preparation method further includes: forming an ink layer on the side of the substrate layer opposite to the non-conductive coating layer.

[0045] In some embodiments of this application, before laying the chopped fiber prepreg, the preparation method further includes: laying a second substrate at the bottom of the mold cavity; wherein the second substrate includes a metal layer or a fiber braided layer. Thus, after compression molding, the second substrate is directly bonded beneath the base layer.

[0046] In other embodiments of this application, after forming the resin material layer, the preparation method further includes: bonding the side of the substrate layer opposite to the non-conductive coating layer to a second substrate via an adhesive layer; wherein the second substrate includes a metal layer or a fiber braided layer. In this way, the second substrate can be indirectly connected to the substrate layer via the adhesive layer.

[0047] In some possible embodiments of this application, after forming the resin material layer, the preparation method further includes: forming an ink layer on the side of the second substrate opposite to the substrate layer. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0049] Figure 2 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the three-dimensional structure of the electronic device shown.

[0050] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the rear side of an electronic device.

[0051] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a shell provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0052] Figure 5 This is a top view of a partial area of ​​the outer surface of the housing provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0053] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the housing provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0054] Figure 7 This is another structural schematic diagram of the housing provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0055] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the housing provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0056] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the housing provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0057] Figure 10 This is a schematic flowchart of a method for preparing a shell according to an embodiment of this application.

[0058] Figure 11 for Figure 4 The diagram shows the corresponding steps in the fabrication of the shell.

[0059] Figure 12 for Figure 8 The diagram shows the corresponding steps in the fabrication of the shell.

[0060] Explanation of key reference numerals: 100-Housing, 101-Back cover, 102-Middle frame, 103-Camera decorative part, 10-Base layer, 20-Non-conductive coating layer, 30-Resin material layer, 31-First resin layer, 32-Second resin layer, 40-Underlay layer, 50-Ink layer, 60-Second substrate, 70-Adhesive layer. Detailed Implementation

[0061] The embodiments of this application will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0062] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows an exploded three-dimensional structure of an electronic device. This electronic device 1000 may include, but is not limited to, a cellphone, notebook computer, tablet personal computer, personal digital assistant, wearable device (such as a wristband, watch, etc.), virtual reality (VR) device, or mobile device. In this embodiment, a cellphone is used as an example for illustration.

[0063] Electronic device 1000 may include a housing 100 assembled on the outside of the electronic device, and a circuit board 200 located inside the housing 100. In some embodiments, electronic device 1000 may further include a display module 300, which may be mounted on the housing 100. The display module 300 can be used to display images, information, menus, and other graphical user interfaces. For example, the display module 300 is generally located on the front side of electronic device 1000. The display module 300 and the housing 100 may together enclose the internal space of electronic device 1000. This internal space can be used to house various electronic components, such as the circuit board 200, battery 400, microphone, speaker, camera module, etc. The circuit board 200 may be electrically connected to the display module 300. The battery 400 may be electrically connected to the circuit board 200. The battery 400 can be used to power the electronic components (such as the circuit board 200, display module 300, etc.) in electronic device 1000.

[0064] In some implementations, such as Figure 2 As shown, the housing 100 may include a rear cover 101 assembled on the rear side of the electronic device 1000. The rear cover 101 may only cover the rear side of the electronic device 1000 (such as the side facing away from the display module 300), or it may cover both the rear side and the side frame of the electronic device 1000. The rear cover 101 is mainly used to enclose electronic components such as the circuit board 200 and the battery 400 within the internal space of the electronic device 1000, thereby protecting the electronic components.

[0065] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2As shown, the housing 100 may further include a middle frame 102, one side of which can be fixedly connected to the rear cover 101. For example, a display module 300 can be mounted on the middle frame 102, with the display module 300 facing away from the rear cover 101. That is, the middle frame 102 is disposed between the display module 300 and the rear cover 101. The middle frame 102 mainly serves to support the entire device. For example, the middle frame 102 includes a metal middle plate and a frame disposed along the outer periphery of the metal middle plate.

[0066] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a structure on the rear side of an electronic device. In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the electronic device 1000 may further include a camera module 500 located inside the electronic device 1000. The housing 100 may further include a camera decorative piece 103, which can be applied to the camera module 500 to decorate and protect the lens of the camera module 500. The camera module 500 may be a front-facing camera module or a rear-facing camera module. The location of the camera decorative piece 103 depends on the location of the camera module 500. Accordingly, the camera decorative piece 103 may be located on the front side or the rear side of the electronic device 1000. In this embodiment, the camera module 500 is a rear-facing camera module, and the camera decorative piece 103 is located on the rear side of the electronic device 1000. In this example, the camera module 500 may be located on the side of the rear cover 101 facing the display module 300.

[0067] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the camera decorative piece 103 can be installed on the back cover 101. The camera decorative piece 103 can be a separate structure from the back cover 101. Both the camera decorative piece 103 and the back cover 101 can have light-transmitting holes. Figure 2 The diagram shows a light-transmitting hole 1011 on the back cover 101. This light-transmitting hole connects the interior of the electronic device 1000 to the outside. For example, light from outside the electronic device 1000 can enter the interior of the electronic device 1000 through the light-transmitting hole 1011. The camera module 500 can capture the light entering the interior of the electronic device 1000. In another embodiment, the camera trim 103 can also be an integral structure with the back cover 101.

[0068] It should be noted that these accompanying drawings only schematically illustrate some components included in the electronic device 1000, and the actual shape, size, location, and structure of these components are not limited by the drawings in this application. It is understood that the electronic device 1000 may include more or fewer components than illustrated, or combine some components, or split some components, or have different component arrangements. For example, when the electronic device 1000 is a device of other forms, it may not include a display module.

[0069] In some embodiments of this application, the back cover 101 and camera trim 103 are generally made of non-conductive materials, such as glass, ceramics, plastics, or non-conductive composite materials, to meet the requirements of high electromagnetic wave transmittance for the casing of electronic devices. Fiber composite materials, composed of a resin matrix and fiber reinforcement, have advantages such as being lightweight and drop-resistant, making them suitable for use as casings of electronic devices, such as back covers and camera trims for mobile phones. However, currently only casings made of resin and chopped carbon fibers can exhibit good fiber luster and the forged texture of chopped carbon fibers. Other inorganic fibers (such as glass fiber and basalt fiber) or organic fibers (such as polyester fiber and aramid fiber) have refractive indices very close to those of the resin matrix, making it difficult for fiber composite materials using these fibers to achieve sufficient fiber luster. Furthermore, because carbon fibers have conductive properties, carbon fiber composite materials also have good conductivity, making them unsuitable for manufacturing casings such as mobile phone back covers that require high electromagnetic wave transmittance.

[0070] Therefore, embodiments of this application provide a housing, a method for manufacturing the same, and an electronic device. The housing utilizes a fiber composite material containing non-conductive chopped fibers, and through its combination with relevant membrane layers, the housing exhibits a distinct fibrous luster and forged texture effect characteristic of non-conductive chopped fibers. Consequently, the housing possesses excellent insulation properties, good electromagnetic wave permeability, and an appearance comparable to that of composite materials made from conductive chopped carbon fibers.

[0071] The housing provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail below.

[0072] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a housing provided in an embodiment of this application. The housing 100 includes a base layer 10, a non-conductive coating layer 20, and a resin material layer 30 stacked sequentially. Specifically, as shown... Figure 4As shown, the base layer 10 has a first surface 10a and a second surface 10b disposed opposite to each other. A non-conductive coating layer 20 is disposed on the first surface 10a of the base layer 10, and a resin material layer 30 is disposed on the side of the non-conductive coating layer 20 facing away from the base layer 10. When the housing 100 is assembled into the electronic device 1000, the base layer 10 faces the internal space of the electronic device 1000, and the resin material layer 30 faces the external space of the electronic device. Exemplarily, in some embodiments, the surface of the resin material layer 30 facing away from the base layer 10 may constitute the external surface of the housing 100.

[0073] The substrate 10 comprises a fiber composite material containing chopped fibers and resin. The first surface 10a of the substrate has exposed chopped fibers 111, which include non-conductive chopped fibers. The non-conductive coating layer 20 comprises an alternating stacked structure of first and second material layers along its thickness direction, or a sandwich structure consisting of two first material layers and an indium layer sandwiched between the two first material layers. The refractive index of the second material layer is greater than that of the first material layer, and the refractive indices of both the second material layer and the indium layer are greater than the refractive index of the resin in the fiber composite material. Each first material layer comprises one of a silicon oxide layer, an aluminum oxide layer, and an aluminum silicate layer. Each second material layer comprises one of a niobium oxide layer, a titanium oxide layer, a niobium nitride layer, a titanium nitride layer, and a silicon nitride layer. The visible light transmittance of the resin material layer 30 is greater than or equal to 50%.

[0074] The base layer 10 of the shell is made of fiber composite material containing non-conductive short chopped fibers, which can help the shell to have a lighter weight and higher mechanical strength, thereby improving the lightweight and impact resistance of the shell; and the fiber composite material has almost no conductivity, which helps the shell to meet the requirements of high electromagnetic wave transmission. The first surface 10a of the base layer 10 has exposed chopped fibers with a chopped fiber texture. On this basis, a non-conductive coating layer 20 with the above-mentioned specific film structure is formed. By means of alternating layers of a second material layer with a refractive index greater than that of the resin in the fiber composite material and the first material layer, or by means of an indium layer with a refractive index greater than that of the resin and good light reflectivity, the non-conductive coating layer 20 can have a high visible light reflectivity. Moreover, the non-conductive coating layer 20 can also widen the difference in refractive index between the base layer 10 of the fiber composite material and the resin material layer 30, increasing the light reflectivity at the interface between the base layer 10 and the non-conductive coating layer 20, and at the interface between the non-conductive coating layer 20 and the resin material layer 30. As a result, the chopped fiber texture on the surface of the base layer 10 can be well presented, and the outer surface of the overall housing 100 (i.e., the surface farthest from the internal space of the electronic device 100) can exhibit obvious fibrous luster and forging texture effects of chopped fibers.

[0075] In addition, a resin material layer 30 with high visible light transmittance is provided on the non-conductive coating layer 20, which can fully cover the exposed short-cut fibers of the base layer without affecting the texture and color of the short-cut fibers, ensuring that the short-cut fibers are not worn, so that the appearance of the shell 100 can maintain the forged texture effect of the short-cut fibers for a long time.

[0076] The appearance of the housing in the embodiments of this application will be illustrated below. Figure 5 This is a top view of a partial area of ​​the outer surface of the housing provided in an embodiment of this application. From the outer surface of the housing 100, it can be observed that the housing 100 includes a plurality of forged textured areas 11 spaced apart. Each forged textured area 11 independently includes a plurality of short chopped fibers 111 with the same fiber orientation direction. Among the plurality of forged textured areas 11, at least two forged textured areas with different fiber orientation directions are included.

[0077] For easy labeling, Figure 5 In this design, each forging texture area is marked as 11 without distinction; each chopped fiber in each forging texture area is marked as 111. For example, the plurality of forging texture areas 11 include at least a first forging texture area and a second forging texture area, wherein the orientation direction (or extension direction) of the chopped fibers in the first forging texture area is different from the orientation direction of the chopped fibers in the second forging texture area. Figure 5 The diagram illustrates eight or more forging texture zones 11 with different fiber orientations. It should be noted that "multiple forging texture zones" here means that the short-cut fibers in this area appear messy and disordered, as if they have been "forged".

[0078] Due to the presence of the aforementioned non-conductive coating layer 20, the aforementioned multiple forged texture areas 11 can be observed from the outer surface of the housing 100, and each forged texture area 11 has different gloss or brightness in different viewing directions, forming a differentiated appearance effect, thereby enriching the appearance effect of the non-conductive fiber composite material on the housing 100, achieving an appearance effect that is basically equivalent to that of conductive short-cut carbon fiber.

[0079] The following explains the case where the non-conductive coating layer 20 includes an alternating stacked structure of a first material layer and a second material layer. Specifically, if the first material layer is referred to as layer A and the second material layer as layer B, then along the direction from the substrate layer 10 to the non-conductive coating layer 20 (e.g., Figure 4 (In the Z direction indicated by the middle arrow), the arrangement of the film layers in the above-mentioned alternating layered structure can be (AB). n Or (AB) n -A, or (BA) n Or (BA) n-B; where n is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The "-" indicates a stacking relationship, for example, (AB). n The layers stacked sequentially along the Z direction are A, B, ..., A and B; the total number of cycles of layer A stacking on layer B is n.

[0080] It is understandable that in this alternating layered structure, the total number of layers A can be equal to or different from the total number of layers B. Furthermore, the thickness or material of each layer A can be the same or different. Similarly, the thickness or material of each layer B can be the same or different. By alternating layers of two materials with different refractive indices, light can be refracted and reflected at the interface between adjacent layers, increasing the optical path length of light in the non-conductive coating layer 20 on both the incident and reflected paths, thereby enhancing the reflectivity of the non-conductive coating layer 20 for visible light.

[0081] When layer A includes a silicon oxide layer, an aluminum oxide layer, or a silicon-aluminum oxide layer, the chemical formula of silicon oxide can be represented, for example, as SiO2. The chemical formula of aluminum oxide can be represented, for example, as aluminum oxide (Al2O3). The chemical formula of silicon-aluminum oxide can be represented, for example, as Si... z Al y O x The values ​​x, y, and z should ensure that the chemical formula satisfies charge balance. When layer B includes a niobium oxide layer, a titanium oxide layer, a niobium nitride layer, a titanium nitride layer, or a silicon nitride layer, the chemical formula of niobium oxide can be, for example, Nb₂O₅. The chemical formula of titanium oxide can include, for example, one or more of TiO₂, Ti₃O₅, etc. The chemical formula of titanium nitride can be, for example, TiN. The chemical formula of silicon nitride can be, for example, Si₃N₄.

[0082] In some embodiments of this application, in the alternating stacked structure of the first material layer (i.e., layer A) and the second material layer (i.e., layer B), at least one of the first material layer and the second material layer has a number of layers greater than or equal to two. That is, along the aforementioned Z direction, the film layer arrangement of this alternating stacked structure can be (AB). n (AB) n -A、(BA) n (BA) n One of -B; n is an integer ≥2. This alternating stacking of layers A and B yields a non-conductive coating layer 20 with improved reflectivity. Furthermore, the film layer arrangement along the Z-direction of this alternating stacking structure is (AB). n 、or (AB) n-A. In this alternating layered structure, layer A is closest to the substrate 10, and its adhesion to the substrate 10 is better, which is more conducive to maintaining high structural stability of the alternating layered structure on the substrate 10. In some embodiments, the alternating layered structure of the non-conductive coating layer 20 can be arranged in the form of (SiO2-Nb2O5). n , or (SiO2-TiO2) n n is an integer ≥ 2.

[0083] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this application, an indium layer (i.e., an In layer) is inserted into the alternating stacked structure of the first and second material layers. This indium layer is located between any adjacent first and second material layers. The presence of the In layer can further enhance the light reflection effect of the non-conductive coating layer 20. Additionally, the indium layer being located in the middle of the alternating stacked structure prevents oxidation of the indium layer on the surface of the alternating stacked structure.

[0084] For example, if the non-conductive coating layer 20 comprises an alternating stacked structure of two A layers and two B layers, and the A layer is in contact with the glass substrate 10, and an indium layer (denoted as the C layer) is introduced, then along the Z direction, the film layer arrangement of the non-conductive coating layer 20 can be ACBAB, ABCAB, or ABACB. That is, the indium layer can be located between the first A layer and the first B layer, or between the first B layer and the second A layer, or between the second A layer and the second B layer.

[0085] In this embodiment, the thickness of the indium layer does not exceed (i.e., is less than or equal to) 50 nm. Indium is an elemental metal, and controlling the thickness of the indium layer to a low level effectively ensures that it is non-conductive when the thickness is thin, thus avoiding its impact on the electromagnetic wave transmittance of the casing. In some embodiments, the thickness of the indium layer may be less than or equal to 20 nm, less than or equal to 15 nm, less than or equal to 10 nm, or less than or equal to 5 nm, etc.

[0086] The following explanation addresses the case where the non-conductive coating layer 20 includes the aforementioned sandwich structure. As described above, if the first material layer is designated as layer A, the layer arrangement of the sandwich structure can be A-In-A. For example, the sandwich structure could be SiO2-In-SiO2.

[0087] The indium layer has a high refractive index and reflectivity. Introducing a sandwich structure containing an indium layer in the middle can also make the non-conductive coating layer 20, which includes the sandwich structure, have a high reflectivity for visible light. In addition, the non-conductive coating layer 20 creates a film layer with a different refractive index between the substrate layer 10, which is made of non-conductive fiber composite material, and the resin material layer 30. This increases the refraction and reflection of light at the interface of adjacent film layers, so that the forged texture of short-cut fibers from the substrate layer 10 can be seen from the appearance of the overall shell.

[0088] Similarly, in this case, the thickness of the indium layer can be less than or equal to 50 nm. This ensures that the indium layer is essentially non-conductive when the thickness is thin, preventing it from affecting the permeability of the casing to electromagnetic waves. In some embodiments, the thickness of the indium layer can be less than or equal to 20 nm, or less than or equal to 10 nm, etc.

[0089] In some embodiments, one side or opposite sides of the sandwich structure may further include the aforementioned second material layer, or include an alternating stacked structure of the second material layer and the first material layer. For example, in this case, the non-conductive coating layer 20 may be arranged in the form of SiO2-In-SiO2-TiO2, TiO2-SiO2-In-SiO2-TiO2, or SiO2-In-SiO2-TiO2-SiO2-TiO2, etc.

[0090] In some embodiments of this application, the thickness of the non-conductive coating layer 20 can be in the range of 20 nm to 5 μm. This thickness range is suitable for cases where the non-conductive coating layer 20 includes the aforementioned alternating layered structure or the aforementioned sandwich structure. By controlling the thickness of the non-conductive coating layer 20 within this range, it is ensured that it does not completely cover the chopped fibers exposed on the first surface 10a of the substrate layer 10, allowing the first surface to maintain its uneven morphology, which better facilitates the manifestation and enhancement of the fiber texture effect of the chopped fibers under the action of the non-conductive coating layer 20. In addition, if the thickness of the non-conductive coating layer 20 is not too thick, it can be avoided from having a certain degree of conductivity, which would cause the housing 100 to have an electromagnetic wave shielding effect.

[0091] For example, the thickness of the non-conductive coating layer 20 can be 30nm, 40nm, 50nm, 60nm, 80nm, 100nm, 120nm, 150nm, 180nm, 200nm, 220nm, 250nm, 280nm, 300nm, 320nm, 350nm, 380nm, 400nm, 420nm, 450nm, 480nm, 500nm, 520nm, 550nm, 580nm, 600nm, 650nm, 700nm, 750nm, 800nm, 850nm, 950nm, 1000nm (i.e., 1μm), 1.5μm, 2μm, 2.5μm, 3μm, 3.5μm, 4μm, 4.5μm, or 5μm, etc.

[0092] In some possible implementations, the thickness of the non-conductive coating layer 20 can be 20-600 nm. In this case, the non-conductive coating layer 20 can achieve good light reflection and non-conductivity while also being firmly bonded to the substrate layer 10. Further, in some embodiments, the thickness of the non-conductive coating layer 20 can be 50-400 nm.

[0093] In this embodiment of the application, the length of the chopped fibers in the base layer 10 can be 3-30 mm, and the diameter can be 5-22 μm. It is understood that the dimensional parameters of these chopped fibers are applicable to chopped fibers of various materials described below in this application.

[0094] The chopped fibers have a suitable length, facilitating the processing of the aforementioned fiber composite material into the base layer 10 via compression molding. Furthermore, it avoids excessive entanglement between excessively long chopped fibers, which could affect their dispersion in the base layer 10, reduce the mechanical properties and appearance of the base layer 10, etc. The chopped fibers have a suitable diameter, ensuring good toughness and facilitating the processing of the aforementioned fiber composite material into the base layer 10 via compression molding or similar methods. For example, the length of the chopped fibers can be 5mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 15mm, 18mm, 20mm, 22mm, 25mm, 28mm, etc. The diameter of the chopped fibers can be 8μm, 10μm, 12μm, 15μm, 18μm, 20μm, etc.

[0095] In this embodiment, the chopped fibers in the substrate 10 can be non-conductive chopped fibers (i.e., non-conductive chopped fibers). These non-conductive chopped fibers can include, but are not limited to, one or more of basalt chopped fibers, chopped glass fibers, chopped ceramic fibers, chopped quartz fibers, and chopped organic fibers. These chopped fibers are all fiber materials with good insulating properties and will not affect the electromagnetic wave transmittance of the substrate 10 and the shell 100. The materials of the chopped organic fibers can include, but are not limited to, one or more of nylon, aramid, polyester (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene terephthalate (PTT), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), etc.), polypropylene, and polyethylene (e.g., ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UPE)).

[0096] In some embodiments of this application, the non-conductive chopped fibers in the base layer 10 may consist only of chopped basalt fibers. In other embodiments of this application, the non-conductive chopped fibers in the base layer 10 may also include one or more of chopped glass fibers, chopped ceramic fibers, chopped quartz fibers, and chopped organic fibers. It is understood that in other embodiments of this application, the chopped fibers in the base layer 10 may also include conductive chopped fibers such as chopped carbon fibers to meet the requirements of shell applications where electromagnetic wave permeability is not critical.

[0097] In some embodiments of this application, the base layer 10 may also contain at least one of gold powder, silver powder, and glitter (e.g., mica powder). These decorative powders can have a decorative effect on the base layer 10, thereby further enriching the appearance of the housing 100 and enhancing its aesthetic appeal. These decorative powders can be added as needed.

[0098] In some possible embodiments of this application, the thickness of the resin material layer 30 can be greater than or equal to 5 μm. A resin material layer 30 with high visible light transmittance and a thickness of 5 μm or more ensures complete coverage of the exposed chopped fibers of the substrate layer, reducing the probability of wear on the chopped fibers. It also provides a planarization effect on the stacked substrate layer 10 and the non-conductive coating layer 20, improving the tactile comfort of the user's fingers touching the outer surface of the housing 100. In some embodiments, the thickness of the resin material layer 30 can be greater than or equal to 10 μm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the resin material layer 30 can be in the range of 10 μm-70 μm, specifically 20 μm, 30 μm, 40 μm, 45 μm, 50 μm, 55 μm, 60 μm, 65 μm, etc. A less thick resin material layer 30 helps reduce the probability of it detaching from the non-conductive coating layer 20.

[0099] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the housing provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 and Figure 4 The main difference is that the resin material layer 30 includes a two-layer structure.

[0100] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 6 As shown, the resin material layer 30 may include a first resin layer 31 and a second resin layer 32 stacked together, with the first resin layer 31 close to the non-conductive coating layer 20. The visible light transmittance of the first resin layer 31 may be greater than or equal to 50%, the visible light transmittance of the second resin layer 32 is greater than that of the first resin layer 31, and the hardness of the second resin layer 32 is greater than that of the first resin layer 31.

[0101] In this embodiment, the resin material layer 30 includes two resin layers, and the hardness and visible light transmittance of the second resin layer 32, which is far away from the non-conductive coating layer 20, are controlled to be greater than those of the first resin layer 31, which is close to the non-conductive coating layer 20. In this way, the superposition of the two resin layers will not affect the texture of the short-cut fibers in the underlying base layer 10, and can also make the wear resistance of the outer surface of the shell 100 better.

[0102] In some possible implementations, the visible light transmittance of the second resin layer 32 may be greater than or equal to 70%, further greater than or equal to 75%, greater than or equal to 80%, greater than or equal to 90%, or greater than or equal to 95%, etc. The visible light transmittance of the first resin layer 31 may be greater than or equal to 55%, greater than or equal to 60%, greater than or equal to 65%, or greater than or equal to 70%, etc. Exemplarily, the first resin layer 31 may be transparent or translucent (e.g., translucent black, translucent red, etc.). The second resin layer 32 may be transparent.

[0103] In some embodiments of this application, the first resin layer 31 may include one or more of thermosetting polyurethane, acrylic resin, or epoxy resin; the second resin layer 32 may include one or more of UV-curable polyurethane, acrylic resin, or epoxy resin. In this case, the thermosetting first resin layer 31 has better adhesion to the non-conductive coating layer 20, thereby helping to improve the bonding strength between the second resin layer 32 and the non-conductive coating layer 20. The UV-curable second resin layer 32 has high film density and better wear resistance, which is more conducive to improving the wear resistance of the outer surface of the housing 100.

[0104] Wherein, when the first resin layer 31 and the second resin layer 32 comprise two or more resin materials, they may be a mixture at the physical level and / or a modification at the chemical level. For example, the first resin layer 31 may comprise two or more of thermosetting polyurethane, thermosetting acrylic resin, and thermosetting epoxy resin; or comprise one or more thermosetting materials of polyurethane-modified acrylic resin, polyurethane-modified epoxy resin, epoxy resin-modified acrylic resin, epoxy resin-modified polyurethane, acrylic-modified epoxy resin, and acrylic-modified polyurethane; or comprise a mixture of at least one of thermosetting polyurethane, thermosetting acrylic resin, and thermosetting epoxy resin with the aforementioned thermosetting materials.

[0105] In some possible implementations, the thickness of the first resin layer 31 can be 5-50 μm, and the thickness of the second resin layer 32 can be 5-50 μm. Limiting the thickness of each resin layer to the range of 5-50 μm advantageously ensures that the resin composition corresponding to each resin layer can be easily and uniformly coated, thus ensuring good continuity and uniformity of each resin layer, and also helps to ensure good toughness of each resin layer, making it less prone to peeling. For example, the thickness of the first resin layer 31 and the second resin layer 32 can be independently 10 μm, 15 μm, 20 μm, 25 μm, 30 μm, 35 μm, 40 μm, or 45 μm, etc.

[0106] In some embodiments of this application, the surface of the second resin layer 32 facing away from the substrate layer 10 may also have an imprinted texture. Figure 6 (Not shown in the image). The imprinted texture can be formed by applying a resin composition for forming the second resin layer 32 and then pressing it onto the surface using a textured imprinting head. The imprinted texture can further enrich the appearance of the housing 100. It is understood that when the resin material layer 30 is only one layer, in some cases, its surface facing away from the base layer 10 may also have an imprinted texture.

[0107] Additionally, it should be noted that, Figure 4 and Figure 6 Examples are given with the resin material layer 30 as a single or two-layer structure, but it is understood that in some cases the resin material layer 30 may also include a film structure of three or more layers.

[0108] Figure 7 This is another structural schematic diagram of the housing provided in the embodiments of this application. Figure 7 and Figure 6 The main difference is that it has an additional 40 layers for the base coat and 50 layers for the ink coat.

[0109] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 7As shown, the housing 100 may further include a primer layer 40 disposed between the base layer 10 and the non-conductive coating layer 20. The primer layer 40 may include one or more of polyurethane, acrylic resin, or epoxy resin. The primer layer 40 helps to cover defects on the first surface 10a of the base layer and improves the bonding strength between the non-conductive coating layer 20 and the base layer 10, which may be made of a fiber composite material. In some embodiments, the primer layer 40 may include one or more of thermosetting polyurethane, acrylic resin, or epoxy resin. In this case, the primer layer 40 itself has good adhesion to the base layer 10.

[0110] In some embodiments of this application, the thickness of the underlayer 40 can be less than or equal to 10 μm. This ensures that the underlayer 40 does not completely cover the exposed fibers on the surface of the substrate 10, thus affecting the texture display of the exposed short-cut fibers in the substrate 10 by the non-conductive coating layer 20 disposed on the substrate 10.

[0111] In some possible implementations, the thickness of the underlayer 40 can be 1-10 μm. This is beneficial for ensuring that the underlayer 40 can effectively improve the adhesion of the non-conductive coating layer 20 to the substrate layer 10, and also for appropriately covering the exposed fibers on the surface of the substrate layer 10, so as not to affect the texture display of the exposed short-cut fibers in the substrate layer 10 by completely covering the exposed fibers on the surface of the substrate layer 10. For example, the thickness of the underlayer 40 can be 1 μm, 2 μm, 2.5 μm, 3 μm, 4 μm, 5 μm, 6 μm, 7 μm, 8 μm, 9 μm, 10 μm, etc. In addition, the underlayer 40 can be one layer or multiple layers. When the underlayer 40 is multiple layers, the aforementioned thickness refers to the total thickness of the underlayer 40.

[0112] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 7 As shown, the housing 100 may further include an ink layer 50, which is disposed on the second surface 10b of the base layer 10. That is, the ink layer 50 is disposed on the side of the base layer 10 opposite to the non-conductive coating layer 20.

[0113] The ink layer 50 primarily serves a masking function, such as masking subsequent wiring structures disposed inside the housing 100. The ink layer 50 can be formed on the second surface 10b by methods such as screen printing or inkjet printing. The ink layer 50 can be a single, continuous film layer or an array of discontinuous film layers. For example, the thickness of the ink layer 50 can be 5μm-50μm, specifically 10μm, 20μm, 30μm, or 40μm. Furthermore, the color of the ink layer 50 can be selected according to different usage requirements, such as red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, or black. In one embodiment, the ink layer 50 can be black for better masking.

[0114] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the housing provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 and Figure 6 The main difference is that it has an additional second substrate 60 and an ink layer 50.

[0115] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 8 As shown, the housing 100 may further include a second substrate 60, which is disposed on the second surface 10b of the base layer 10. That is, the second substrate 60 is disposed on the side of the base layer 10 facing away from the non-conductive coating layer 20. The second substrate 60 is mainly used to support the laminated structure of the base layer 10, the non-conductive coating layer 20, and the resin material layer 30.

[0116] In this embodiment, the second substrate 60 may include a metal layer or a fiber braided layer. Metal layers or fiber braided layers are commonly used substrate materials in the housings of electronic devices. This enriches the application forms of the laminated structure of the aforementioned substrate layer 10, non-conductive coating layer 20, and resin material layer 30. That is, it enriches the application of the aforementioned laminated structure with a chopped fiber forged texture effect. The chopped fiber forged texture effect can be achieved on a substrate whose material is not a chopped fiber composite material. When the second substrate 60 is made of a metal material, the housing 100 can be used in scenarios where electromagnetic wave transmittance requirements are not high. It is understood that the laminated structure of the aforementioned substrate layer 10, non-conductive coating layer 20, and resin material layer 30 may be carried in a partial or complete area of ​​the second substrate 60. Furthermore, the fiber braided layer here specifically refers to a continuous fiber braided layer. This fiber braided layer generally includes two or more continuous fibers with different orientations.

[0117] In some possible embodiments of this application, the aforementioned metal layer may include aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, magnesium alloy, or stainless steel, etc. The continuous fibers in the aforementioned fiber braided layer may include one or more of basalt fibers, glass fibers, quartz fibers, and organic fibers. Exemplary organic fibers may include, but are not limited to, one or more of aramid fibers, polyimide (PI, commonly known as nylon) fibers, poly(p-phenylenebenzodioxazole) (PBO) fibers, UPE fibers, polypropylene fibers, PET fibers, PBT fibers, PTT fibers, etc.

[0118] For some embodiments of this application, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 8 The housing 100 also includes an ink layer 50, which is disposed on the side of the second substrate 60 opposite to the substrate layer. (As described above...) Figure 7Similarly, in this case, the ink layer 50 is also located on the side of the housing 100 closest to the internal space of the electronic device. Further details about the ink layer 50 can be found in the preceding section. Figure 7 The relevant description in the document.

[0119] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the housing provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 and Figure 8 The main difference is that an adhesive layer 70 is added between the second substrate 60 and the base layer 10.

[0120] like Figure 9 As shown, an adhesive layer 70 may also be included between the second substrate 60 and the base layer 10. The adhesive layer 70 helps to improve the bonding strength between the second substrate 60 and the base layer 10. The adhesive layer 70 may be made of a polymer adhesive, such as optical adhesive, thermosetting adhesive, or pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0121] in, Figure 8 and Figure 9 The shell structure shown enriches the application forms of the stacked structure of the base layer 10, the non-conductive coating layer 20 and the resin material layer 30 in the embodiments of this application.

[0122] It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the various features in the foregoing embodiments of this application can be combined with each other, and any combination of features in different embodiments is also within the protection scope of this application. That is to say, the multiple embodiments described above can also be arbitrarily combined according to actual needs. For example, they can be... Figure 4 The housing 100 shown may also include an underlayer 40 and / or an ink layer 50; Figure 4 The housing 100 shown may also include a second base 60. For example, Figure 8 and Figure 9 In the housing 100 shown, an underlayer 40 may also be provided between the base layer 10 and the non-conductive coating layer 20. Furthermore, the housings 100 described in the embodiments of this application can be flexibly configured with other film layer structures according to actual needs. For example, an anti-fingerprint layer may be provided on the surface of the resin material layer 30 furthest from the base layer 10 to reduce the probability of fingerprints being left when a user's finger touches the outer surface of the housing 100.

[0123] The following describes the method for preparing the shell according to an embodiment of this application.

[0124] Figure 10 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a method for preparing a shell according to an embodiment of this application. The following is in conjunction with... Figure 10 To prepare Figure 4 Taking the shell shown as an example, the preparation method of the shell in the embodiments of this application is introduced. Figure 11 for Figure 4 The diagram shows the corresponding steps in the preparation of the shell. The preparation steps of the shell 100 may include, but are not limited to, the following steps S101, S102, S103 and S104.

[0125] Step S101: As Figure 11 As shown, chopped fiber prepreg 10' impregnated with resin is laid in the mold cavity and sealed, and then molded into a base layer 10.

[0126] The term "prepreg" refers to an assembly made by impregnating fiber-reinforced materials with resin, serving as an intermediate in the manufacture of the aforementioned fiber composite materials. Prepregs are generally in a partially cured state, facilitating molding into the desired shape. It is understood that chopped fiber prepregs include chopped fibers and resin.

[0127] In this embodiment, the resin-impregnated chopped fiber prepreg 10' can be a sheet molding compound (SMC), a bulk molding compound (BMC), or shredded resin-impregnated unidirectional prepreg tape. The term "prepreg tape" refers to a strip-shaped prepreg, meaning it can be a strip-shaped composite material formed by impregnating fiber materials and resin. The fiber reinforcement material in the prepreg tape is generally continuous fiber. Because the continuous fibers in the prepreg tape usually have one orientation, "prepreg tape" is often called "unidirectional prepreg tape." The shredded material formed after unidirectional prepreg tape is chopped fiber. Therefore, the shredded unidirectional prepreg tape in this embodiment can also be considered a composite raw material containing resin and chopped fibers. Chopped fiber prepreg is relatively easy to mold.

[0128] In this embodiment, the chopped fibers in the chopped fiber prepreg 10' include non-conductive chopped fibers. As described above, the non-conductive chopped fibers may include one or more of basalt chopped fibers, chopped glass fibers, chopped ceramic fibers, chopped quartz fibers, and chopped organic fibers. In some embodiments, the non-conductive chopped fibers may include basalt chopped fibers. In some cases, they may further include other chopped inorganic fibers and chopped organic fibers. For information on the size, material, etc., of the chopped fibers, please refer to the description above.

[0129] In this embodiment, the resin material in the chopped fiber prepreg 10' can be a thermosetting resin, such as one or more of epoxy resin, polyurethane resin, and acrylic resin, but is not limited thereto. It is understood that the resin in the prepreg is uncured or partially cured. It can be subsequently cured and molded under heat.

[0130] In this embodiment, the resin material in the chopped fiber prepreg 10' can be colorless and transparent, colorless and translucent, or colored. In some embodiments, the resin material in the chopped fiber prepreg 10' can be colorless and transparent. This is more conducive to the display of the fiber texture of the chopped fibers.

[0131] In step S101, the layup shape of the chopped fiber prepreg 10' is not particularly limited; for example, it can be square, cylindrical, or a combination of multiple shapes.

[0132] Optionally, the layup height of the chopped fiber prepreg can be 1-10 times the mold cavity height, specifically 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 times. It should be noted that when the layup height of the chopped fiber prepreg is higher than the mold cavity height, the prepreg will be compressed to a certain extent during mold closing to seal the cavity, thus remaining within the mold cavity without overflowing.

[0133] Compression molding (also known as compression molding or compression molding) allows chopped fiber prepreg material placed in a mold cavity to be molded and cured under certain temperature and pressure. Accordingly, the resin in the base layer 10 obtained after compression molding is a cured resin material. For example, the compression molding temperature can be 120-150°C, and the pressure can be 10-40 kgf.

[0134] In some embodiments of this application, during the layup process in step S101, decorative powders such as gold powder, silver powder, and glitter can be sprinkled in to provide a decorative effect on the molded base layer 10. These decorative powders can be sprinkled in the middle of the chopped fiber prepreg layup. Thus, after polishing in step S102, the remaining base layer still retains these decorative powders. These decorative powders can be sprinkled in one application or in multiple applications.

[0135] Step S102: Grind one side surface of the substrate 10 to expose the short-cut fibers 111 on the ground surface of the substrate (which can be referred to as the first surface 10a). Figure 11 As shown.

[0136] It should be noted that the thickness of the base layer 10 will change to some extent after polishing. In this embodiment, the base layer before and after polishing is not distinguished by a number, and is uniformly represented by the number 10. The polishing mentioned above can be one or more of the following: manual polishing (e.g., polishing with sandpaper or abrasive cloth), mechanical polishing (e.g., polishing machine, grinding machine, etc.), or chemical polishing (e.g., using chemical agents).

[0137] In some embodiments of this application, the surface roughness Ra of the base layer after polishing 10a can be greater than or equal to 5 μm.

[0138] Roughness Average (Ra) is the arithmetic mean roughness, representing the average absolute value of roughness over a reference length. Specifically, it is calculated by summing the absolute values ​​of the height deviations of each point on the surface profile from the average line within the evaluation length, then dividing by the evaluation length. The result is Ra. The value of Ra reflects the average height variation of the microstructure of the substrate surface, or in other words, the unevenness of the substrate at the microscale. A Ra greater than 5 μm on the surface after substrate polishing indicates that the polished surface 10a contains short-cut fibers with a certain degree of unevenness. This allows the texture effect of the exposed short-cut fibers to be revealed and enhanced using the aforementioned non-conductive coating layer. In some embodiments, the Ra on the surface after substrate polishing can be greater than or equal to 6 μm, and further greater than or equal to 7 μm, 8 μm, 9 μm, or 10 μm, etc.

[0139] In some embodiments of this application, the maximum exposed height of the chopped fibers 111 on the polished surface 10a of the substrate can be around 10 μm, for example, in the range of 5-11 μm. This facilitates the visualization and enhancement of the texture of the exposed chopped fibers by the non-conductive coating layer described below.

[0140] In some embodiments of this application, the thickness of the polished base layer 10 can be in the range of 0.1mm-5mm, specifically 0.2mm, 0.5mm, 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, or 4.5mm. The thickness of the polished base layer can be adjusted according to the actual required thickness of the shell product.

[0141] In some embodiments of this application, before the above-mentioned polishing, the base layer 10 obtained after molding can be machined as needed, for example, by CNC (Computer Numerical Control). CNC machining can produce the basic shape and / or structural features required for the housing 100 (e.g., curved surfaces, or mating structures such as holes, grooves, etc.).

[0142] Step S103: A non-conductive coating layer 20 is formed on the surface 10a after the substrate layer has been polished, such as... Figure 11 As shown.

[0143] In this embodiment, the non-conductive coating layer 20 may include an alternating stacked structure of a first material layer and a second material layer along its thickness direction, or a sandwich structure formed by two first material layers and an indium layer sandwiched between the two first material layers. The refractive index of the second material layer is greater than that of the first material layer, and the refractive indices of both the second material layer and the indium layer are greater than the refractive index of the resin in step S101; each first material layer may include one of a silicon oxide layer, an aluminum oxide layer, and an aluminum silicon oxide layer, and each second material layer may include one of a niobium oxide layer, a titanium oxide layer, a niobium nitride layer, a titanium nitride layer, and a silicon nitride layer.

[0144] For a detailed description of the structure and composition of the non-conductive coating layer 20, please refer to the relevant description above in this application. The non-conductive coating layer 20 can be deposited using physical vapor deposition (PVD). PVD can include, but is not limited to, magnetron sputtering, vacuum evaporation, and ion plating (e.g., arc ion plating, radio frequency ion plating).

[0145] In some embodiments of this application, the first material layer, the second material layer, and the indium layer are all deposited using magnetron sputtering. For example, when forming a first material layer of silicon oxide using magnetron sputtering, the target material can be a Si target. An inert gas (e.g., argon) and oxygen—the reactive gas used to form the SiO2 film—are introduced into the vacuum deposition chamber and ionized by collisions with electrons. Under the influence of a strong magnetic field, the ionized gas bombards the surface of the sputtering target to deposit a SiO2 film on the substrate surface. As another example, when depositing a first material layer of aluminum silicate using magnetron sputtering, the main difference from silicon oxide deposition is that the target material includes both a Si target and an Al target. The molar ratio of Si to Al in the aluminum silicate can be controlled by adjusting the sputtering power and sputtering time of the Si and Al targets. For example, when using magnetron sputtering to deposit a second material layer of niobium nitride, the target material can be an Nb target, and the gas introduced into the vacuum deposition chamber can be an inert gas (such as argon) and a reactive gas—nitrogen.

[0146] For example, the aforementioned film layer arrangement along the Z direction is (SiO2-TiO2). n When forming a non-conductive coating layer 20, a SiO2 layer can be deposited first on the polished surface 10a of the substrate layer, and then a TiO2 layer can be deposited on the SiO2 layer; the above deposition process can be repeated n times. When forming a non-conductive coating layer 20 with a film layer arrangement of SiO2-In-SiO2, a SiO2 layer can be deposited first on the substrate layer 10, then an In layer can be deposited, and finally a SiO2 layer can be deposited.

[0147] In some embodiments of this application, the thickness of the non-conductive coating layer 20 can be in the range of 20 nm to 5 μm. This ensures that the non-conductive coating layer 20 does not completely cover the chopped fibers exposed on the first surface 10a after the substrate layer has been polished, allowing the first surface to maintain its uneven morphology, which better facilitates the display and enhancement of the fiber texture effect of the chopped fibers in conjunction with the non-conductive coating layer 20. Furthermore, the thickness of the non-conductive coating layer 20 is not too thick, which better ensures that it is non-conductive.

[0148] In some possible implementations, the thickness of the non-conductive coating layer 20 can be 20-600 nm. In this case, the non-conductive coating layer 20 can be firmly bonded to the substrate layer 10 while having good light reflection enhancement and non-conductivity. Further, in the ethylene embodiment, the thickness of the non-conductive coating layer 20 can be 50-400 nm.

[0149] Step S104: Form a resin material layer 30 on the non-conductive coating layer 20, such as... Figure 11 As shown.

[0150] In this embodiment, the visible light transmittance of the resin material layer 30 is greater than or equal to 50%.

[0151] In some embodiments of this application, the thickness of the resin material layer 30 can be greater than or equal to 5 μm. This ensures that the resin material layer 30 completely covers the exposed chopped fibers of the base layer, reduces the probability of wear on the chopped fibers, and also provides a planarization effect on the stacked base layer 10 and non-conductive coating layer 20, improving the tactile comfort of the user's fingers touching the outer surface of the housing 100. In some embodiments, the thickness of the resin material layer 30 can be in the range of 10 μm to 70 μm. A less thick resin material layer 30 helps reduce the probability of it detaching from the base layer 10.

[0152] For preparation Figure 4 For the housing shown, forming a resin material layer 30 on the non-conductive coating layer 20 may specifically include: coating a resin composition onto the non-conductive coating layer 20 and curing it to form the resin material layer 30. The coating method may include one or more of the following combinations: drop coating, brush coating, spray coating, dip coating, blade coating, and spin coating.

[0153] In the shell preparation method provided in this application embodiment, after molding a resin-impregnated chopped fiber prepreg model into a base layer 10, one side surface of the base layer is first polished to expose the chopped fibers. Then, a non-conductive coating layer 20 with a specific composition is formed on the exposed surface of the base layer with the chopped fibers. Finally, a resin material layer 30 with high visible light transmittance is formed on the non-conductive coating layer 20. The non-conductive coating layer 20 enhances the light reflection effect at the interface between the base layer 10 and the resin material layer 30, and its own visible light reflection effect is also good. This allows the outer surface of the shell 100 to exhibit the fibrous luster and forged texture effect originating from the chopped fibers on the surface of the base layer 10. The above shell preparation method is simple and easy to operate.

[0154] Understandable Figure 10 The method for preparing the shell shown can be used not only to prepare Figure 4 The housing shown can also be used to manufacture housings for other embodiments. On the side of each housing furthest from the internal space of the electronic device 1000 (more precisely, the surface of the resin material layer 30 in housing 100 furthest from the base layer 10), the fibrous luster and forged texture effect of chopped fibers can be observed; see the preceding text of this application for details. Figure 5 The description.

[0155] For example, when using Figure 10 The preparation method shown is used to prepare Figure 6 When the shell shown is prepared, it is similar to the preparation Figure 4 The main difference in the casing shown is that in step S104, a first resin composition is first coated on the non-conductive coating layer 20 and cured to form a first resin layer 31, wherein the visible light transmittance of the first resin layer 31 is greater than or equal to 50%; then a second resin composition is coated on the first resin layer 31 and cured to form a second resin layer 32 (e.g., ...). Figure 6 As shown in the figure, the visible light transmittance and hardness of the second resin layer 32 are both greater than those of the first resin layer 31. The laminated structure of the first resin layer 31 and the second resin layer 32 together constitutes the resin material layer 30.

[0156] In some embodiments, the first resin composition is cured by thermosetting, and the second resin composition is cured by ultraviolet (UV) curing. The thermosetting first resin layer 31 exhibits better adhesion to the non-conductive coating layer 20, thereby improving the bonding strength of the second resin layer 32 to the non-conductive coating layer 20. The UV-cured second resin layer 32 has higher film density and better wear resistance, which helps improve the wear resistance of the outer surface of the housing 100. In some embodiments, after applying the second resin composition, a textured printing head can be used for surface pressing to form a second resin layer with a textured surface after curing. This further enriches the appearance of the housing 100.

[0157] In some embodiments of this application, for the preparation Figure 7 For the housing shown, before forming the non-conductive coating layer 20 in step S103, the housing preparation method may further include: first forming an underlayer 40 on the surface 10a after the base layer has been polished. Thus, the underlayer 40 is disposed between the base layer 10 and the non-conductive coating layer 20 (e.g., Figure 7 (As shown). The underlayer 40 can help cover defects on the surface of the base layer after polishing and improve the bonding strength between the non-conductive coating layer 20 and the base layer 10, which is made of a fiber composite material. For information on the material, thickness, etc. of the underlayer 40, please refer to the description above in this application.

[0158] In some embodiments of this application, for the preparation Figure 7 For the housing shown, after forming the resin material layer 30 in step S104, the process may further include: step S105, forming an ink layer 50 (e.g., ...) on the side of the base layer 10 opposite to the non-conductive coating layer 20. Figure 7 (As shown).

[0159] Figure 12 for Figure 8 The diagram shows the corresponding steps in the fabrication of the shell. Wherein, Figure 8 The preparation method of the shell shown is the same as Figure 6 The main difference in the preparation method of the shell shown is that in step S101, before the chopped fiber prepreg 10' is laid in the mold cavity, a second substrate 60 is first laid at the bottom of the mold cavity, such as... Figure 12 As shown. Accordingly, after molding, a second substrate 60 is bonded below the substrate layer 10. After the processing in step S104, the substrate layer 10, the non-conductive coating layer 20, and the resin material layer 30 are all supported on the second substrate 60. As mentioned above, the second substrate 60 includes a metal layer or a fiber braided layer. For details regarding the specific material of the second substrate, please refer to the relevant description above.

[0160] also, Figure 8 The preparation method of the shell shown is the same as Figure 6 The difference in the preparation method of the shell shown also includes: after forming the resin material layer 30 in step S104, the preparation method of the shell may further include: step S105': forming an ink layer 50 on the side of the second substrate 60 opposite to the base layer 10, such as Figure 12 As shown.

[0161] also, Figure 9 The preparation method of the shell shown is the same as Figure 6The main difference in the preparation method of the shell shown is that after forming the resin material layer 30 in step S104, step S106 is also included: bonding the side of the base layer 10 away from the non-conductive coating layer 20 to the second base 60 through an adhesive layer 70, as shown. Figure 9 As shown. The second substrate 60 includes a metal layer or a fiber braided layer. That is, the fabrication... Figure 9 The shell shown is prepared by Figure 8 The difference in the shell shown is that the second substrate 60 is not directly bonded to the base layer 10 after molding, but is indirectly connected to the base layer 10 after the resin material layer 30 is formed.

[0162] It is understandable that the preparation Figure 9 The housing shown may further include, after step S106, step S105': forming an ink layer 50 on the side of the second substrate 60 opposite to the base layer 10 (specifically, the side of the second substrate 60 opposite to the adhesive layer 70), such as... Figure 9 As shown.

[0163] The above description merely illustrates exemplary embodiments of this application, and while the description is specific and detailed, it should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments without departing from the concept of this application, and such modifications and improvements are all considered to be within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this patent application should be determined by the scope of the appended claims.

[0164] Where there is no conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other, and any combination of features in different embodiments is also within the protection scope of this application. That is to say, the multiple embodiments described above can also be arbitrarily combined according to actual needs.

[0165] It should be noted that all the above figures are exemplary illustrations of this application. The figures mainly illustrate the parts of the product related to the embodiments of this application, and the product may still include other parts not shown in the figures. Furthermore, the actual shape, actual position, actual size and proportion, actual construction, actual quantity, etc. of the product's components or structures are not limited by the figures.

[0166] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium.

[0167] The directional terms mentioned in the embodiments of this application, such as "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "top", "bottom", "side", etc., are only for reference to the directions in the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for better and clearer explanation and understanding of the embodiments of this application, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0168] In the embodiments of this application, "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone; where A and B can be singular or plural. Additionally, in this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can represent A or B.

[0169] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, "multiple (types)" means two or more (types). "At least one (type)" means one (type) or multiple (types). "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or multiple items. For example, "at least one of a, b, or c", or "at least one of a, b, and c", can both represent: a, b, c, ab (i.e., a and b), ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0170] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined with "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0171] In the embodiments of this application, the numerical range represented by "-" refers to the range including the values ​​before and after "-", which are respectively taken as the minimum and maximum values. For example, the value of 'a' is 0.5-15, meaning that the value of 'a' can be between 0.5 and 15, including the endpoint values ​​of 0.5 and 15. Furthermore, expressions regarding parameter ranges in this application, such as "greater than or equal to (≥)", "less than or equal to (≤)", "above", and "below", all include the stated number.

Claims

1. A housing, characterized in that, The housing includes: A substrate layer having a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other, the substrate layer comprising a fiber composite material containing chopped fibers and resin, the first surface of the substrate layer having exposed chopped fibers, the chopped fibers comprising non-conductive chopped fibers; A non-conductive coating layer is disposed on the first surface of the substrate layer. The non-conductive coating layer comprises an alternating stacked structure of a first material layer and a second material layer along the thickness direction, or a sandwich structure comprising two first material layers and an indium layer sandwiched between the two first material layers. The refractive index of the second material layer is greater than that of the first material layer, and the refractive indices of both the second material layer and the indium layer are greater than the refractive index of the resin in the fiber composite material. Each first material layer comprises one of a silicon oxide layer, an aluminum oxide layer, and an aluminum silicon oxide layer. Each second material layer comprises one of a niobium oxide layer, a titanium oxide layer, a niobium nitride layer, a titanium nitride layer, and a silicon nitride layer. A resin material layer is disposed on the side of the non-conductive coating layer opposite to the substrate layer, and the visible light transmittance of the resin material layer is greater than or equal to 50%.

2. The housing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the non-conductive coating layer is 20nm-5μm.

3. The housing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, In the alternating stacked structure of the first material layer and the second material layer, at least one of the first material layer and the second material layer has a number of layers greater than or equal to 2.

4. The housing according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, An indium layer is also inserted in the alternating stacked structure of the first material layer and the second material layer, and the indium layer is located between any adjacent first material layer and second material layer.

5. The housing according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The thickness of the indium layer is less than or equal to 50 nm.

6. The housing according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The non-conductive chopped fibers have a length of 3-30 mm and a diameter of 5-22 μm.

7. The housing according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, In the substrate layer, the non-conductive chopped fibers include one or more of the following: chopped basalt fibers, chopped glass fibers, chopped ceramic fibers, chopped quartz fibers, and chopped organic fibers.

8. The housing according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The base layer also contains at least one of gold powder, silver powder, and glitter.

9. The housing according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The thickness of the resin material layer is greater than or equal to 5 μm.

10. The housing according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The resin material layer includes a first resin layer and a second resin layer stacked together, with the first resin layer close to the non-conductive coating layer; wherein, the visible light transmittance of the first resin layer is greater than or equal to 50%, the visible light transmittance of the second resin layer is greater than that of the first resin layer, and the hardness of the second resin layer is greater than that of the first resin layer.

11. The housing according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first resin layer comprises one or more of thermosetting polyurethane, acrylic resin, or epoxy resin; the second resin layer comprises one or more of UV-curable polyurethane, acrylic resin, or epoxy resin.

12. The housing according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The thickness of the first resin layer is 5-50 μm; the thickness of the second resin layer is 5-50 μm.

13. The housing according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The housing further includes a base layer disposed between the substrate layer and the non-conductive coating layer; wherein the base layer comprises one or more of polyurethane, acrylic resin or epoxy resin.

14. The housing according to claim 13, characterized in that, The thickness of the base layer is less than or equal to 10 μm.

15. The housing according to any one of claims 1-14, characterized in that, The housing also includes an ink layer disposed on the second surface of the base layer.

16. The housing according to any one of claims 1-15, characterized in that, The housing further includes a second substrate disposed on the second surface of the substrate layer; wherein the second substrate includes a metal layer or a fiber braided layer.

17. The housing according to claim 16, characterized in that, The metal layer includes aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, magnesium alloy or stainless steel; the continuous fibers in the fiber braided layer include one or more of basalt fiber, glass fiber, quartz fiber and organic fiber.

18. The housing according to claim 16, characterized in that, An adhesive layer is also included between the second substrate and the substrate layer.

19. The housing according to any one of claims 16-18, characterized in that, The housing also includes an ink layer disposed on the side of the second substrate opposite to the substrate layer.

20. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a circuit board and a housing according to any one of claims 1-19, wherein the housing is assembled on the outside of the electronic device and the circuit board is located inside the housing.

21. A method for preparing a shell, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: A resin-impregnated chopped fiber prepreg is laid in the mold cavity of a mold and sealed, and then molded into a base layer; wherein, the chopped fibers in the chopped fiber prepreg include non-conductive chopped fibers. One side surface of the base layer is polished to expose the chopped fibers on the polished surface of the base layer. A non-conductive coating layer is formed on the surface of the polished substrate layer; wherein the non-conductive coating layer comprises an alternating stacked structure of a first material layer and a second material layer along the thickness direction, or comprises a sandwich structure formed by two first material layers and an indium layer sandwiched between the two first material layers; wherein the refractive index of the second material layer is greater than that of the first material layer, and the refractive indices of both the second material layer and the indium layer are greater than that of the resin; each first material layer comprises one of a silicon oxide layer, an aluminum oxide layer, and an aluminum silicon oxide layer, and each second material layer comprises one of a niobium oxide layer, a titanium oxide layer, a niobium nitride layer, a titanium nitride layer, and a silicon nitride layer; A resin material layer is formed on the non-conductive coating layer; wherein the visible light transmittance of the resin material layer is greater than or equal to 50%.

22. The preparation method according to claim 21, characterized in that, The surface roughness Ra of the base layer after polishing is greater than or equal to 5 μm.

23. The preparation method according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that, The thickness of the non-conductive coating layer is 20nm-5μm; the thickness of the resin material layer is greater than or equal to 5μm.

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