Electronic devices having molded polymer structures

Abstract

To maintain a desired compact size for an electronic device having a display mounted in a housing.SOLUTION: The display may have a display panel having an array of pixels on a flexible substrate and have a protruding portion that forms a tail. When a display 14 is mounted in a housing 12, a tail 14T may be bent back on itself to form a bend. The bend may be embedded in molded polymer 54. The device may have structures that help prevent a display cover layer 60 from being compressed inwardly towards the rear of the housing, such as frame structures embedded in the molded polymer and / or housing sidewall structures. Optical components and optical waveguides may be embedded within the molded polymer. Mating chamfers on the display cover layer and housing may help seat the display cover layer in the housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 701,516, filed on March 22, 2022, U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 164,949, filed on March 23, 2021, and U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 229,259, filed on August 4, 2021, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. This application generally relates to electronic devices, and more particularly, to electronic devices having a display.

Background Art

[0002] An electronic device may have components such as a display. A housing for an electronic device having a display can have a structure formed from materials such as glass and metal. In some configurations, the display can be mounted under a display cover glass layer to protect the display pixels from damage. The display cover glass may be attached to the housing wall and other housing structures.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] An electronic device may have a display mounted within a housing. The display may have a display panel having an array of pixels on a flexible substrate. A display cover layer can overlap the display panel. The flexible substrate may have a protruding portion that forms a tail. When the display is mounted within the housing, the tail may be folded back onto itself to form a bend. The bend may be embedded in a molded polymer member. The molded polymer member can serve to protect and support the embedded display tail.

[0004] The housing may have inwardly projecting lips extending around the periphery of the device. The lips can project from the sidewalls of the housing into the molded polymer to help lock the molded polymer in place.

[0005] The housing may have a rear wall having an inward-facing surface that faces an opposing inward-facing surface of the display cover layer. The device may have structures that help prevent the display cover layer from being compressed toward the rear housing wall. These structures may include, for example, a frame structure extending between the inward-facing surface of the rear housing wall and the opposing inward-facing surface of the display cover layer. Vertical supports may also be provided by vertical ribs extending along the inner surface of the side wall. In some configurations, the tail of the display may have parallel fingers, each of which is received in a side wall recess formed between a pair of vertical ribs or other inwardly projecting support structures.

[0006] Frame structures and other support structures may be embedded in the molded polymer. Electrical components and other structures can be embedded in the molded polymer if desired. For example, optical components and associated optical waveguides can be embedded in the molded polymer. The display cover layer and mating chamfers on the housing can help seat the display cover layer within the housing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an exemplary electronic device having a display according to one embodiment.

[0008] [Figure 2] This is a top view of an exemplary display and housing structure that can be stacked on top of each other within an electronic device, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a top view of an exemplary display and housing structure that can be stacked on top of each other within an electronic device, according to one embodiment. [Figure 4]This is a top view of an exemplary display and housing structure that can be stacked on top of each other within an electronic device, according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a top view of an exemplary display and housing structure that can be stacked on top of each other within an electronic device, according to one embodiment.

[0009] [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary frame having a tab according to one embodiment.

[0010] [Figure 7] This is a side cross-sectional view of an end portion of an exemplary electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0011] [Figure 8] This is a side cross-sectional view of an end portion of an exemplary electronic device having a frame configured to help support a display cover layer, according to one embodiment.

[0012] [Figure 9] This is a perspective view of a segmented tail portion of an exemplary flexible display according to one embodiment.

[0013] [Figure 10] Figure 9 is a top view of the end portion of an exemplary electronic device to which a flexible display of the type shown is attached.

[0014] [Figure 11] This is a side cross-sectional view of an end portion of an exemplary electronic device shown in Figure 10, according to one embodiment.

[0015] [Figure 12] This is a side cross-sectional view of an end portion of an exemplary electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0016] [Figure 13]A side cross-sectional view of an end portion of an exemplary electronic device having an optical component and a light guide embedded in a polymer structure according to one embodiment.

[0017] [Figure 14] A side cross-sectional view of an edge portion of an exemplary electronic device according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The electronic device can have a display and other components. Layers of glass, metal, and / or other structures may be used to form a housing for the device. The display and other components can be mounted within the housing. A molded polymer can be used to support the housing structure, the display, and other components. Portions of the housing structure, the display, and other components may be embedded in the polymer.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary electronic device of a type that can include a molded polymer structure. The device 10 of FIG. 1 may be a portable device such as a wristwatch, a portable device without a wristband such as a mobile phone or a tablet computer, or other suitable electronic equipment (e.g., a desktop computer, a voice-controlled speaker with a display panel, a television or other non-portable display, a head-mounted device, an embedded system such as a system incorporated in a vehicle or a house, an electronic device accessory, and / or other electronic devices). In this specification, an exemplary configuration where the device 10 is a mobile phone or a tablet computer may sometimes be described as an example.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the device 10 includes a housing such as a housing 12. The housing 12 can be formed from polymers, metals, glass, crystalline materials such as sapphire, ceramics, cloth, fibers, fiber composites, neutral materials such as wood and cotton, other materials and / or combinations of such materials. The housing 12 can be configured to form housing walls. The housing walls can enclose one or more internal areas in which internal device components 18 are mounted, and can isolate the internal areas of the device 10 from the external environment surrounding the device 10. In some configurations, openings can be formed in the housing 12 for data ports, power ports, to accommodate audio components, or to accommodate other devices. Transparent housing areas can be used to form optical component windows. In the exemplary configuration of Figure 1, a transparent housing layer can cover the top surface of the device 10 and can function as a protective display cover layer for the display 14. If desired, a dielectric housing structure can be used to form a radio-transparent area for the antenna and radio power components. The display 14 may be located on the front of the device 10 and may have a rectangular shape (e.g., a square or non-square rectangular shape with rounded corners or other shaped corners), a circular shape, or other preferred shape.

[0021] The internal electrical components 18 of device 10 may include integrated circuits, discrete components, light-emitting components, sensors, and / or other circuits, which may be interconnected using signal paths within one or more printed circuits, if desired. The electrical components 18 may also include control circuits. The control circuits may include storage and processing circuits that assist in the operation of device 10. The storage and processing circuits may include storage such as hard disk drive storage, non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory or other electrically programmable read-only memory configured to form a solid-state drive), and volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic random-access memory). Processing circuits within the control circuit may be used to control the operation of device 10. For example, the processing circuit may collect inputs using sensors and other input / output circuits, provide outputs, and / or transmit signals to external devices. The processing circuit may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processors, power management units, audio chips, specific application integrated circuits, etc. The control circuit may include wired and / or wireless communication circuits (e.g., antennas and associated high-frequency receiver circuits such as cellular telephone communication circuits, wireless local area network communication circuits, etc.). The communication circuits of the control circuit allow device 10 to communicate with other electronic devices. For example, the control circuit (e.g., communication circuits within the control circuit) can be used to transmit wired and / or wireless control commands and other communications between devices such as cellular telephones, tablet computers, laptop computers, desktop computers, head-mounted devices, handheld controllers, wristwatch devices, other wearable devices, keyboards, computer mice, remote controls, speakers, accessory displays, accessory cameras, and / or other electronic devices. For example, a wireless communication circuit can wirelessly transmit control signals or other information to an external device in response to receiving user input or other input from a sensor or other device at component 18.

[0022] The input / output circuits of component 18 of device 10 can be used to supply data to device 10 and to supply data from device 10 to an external device. The input / output circuits may include an input device that collects user input and other inputs, and may include an output device that supplies a visual output, an audio output, or other output.

[0023] Output can be provided using light-emitting diodes (e.g., crystalline semiconductor light-emitting diodes for status indicators and / or displays, organic light-emitting diodes in displays and other components), lasers and other light-emitting devices, audio output devices (e.g., tone generators and / or speakers), tactile output devices (e.g., vibrators, electromagnetic actuators, piezoelectric actuators and / or other devices that provide tactile output to the user), and other output devices.

[0024] The input / output circuits of device 10 (e.g., the input / output circuits of component 18) may include sensors. Sensors for device 10 may include force sensors (e.g., strain gauges, capacitive force sensors, resistive force sensors, etc.), audio sensors such as microphones, touch sensors and / or proximity sensors such as capacitive sensors (e.g., two-dimensional capacitive touch sensors incorporated into the display, two-dimensional capacitive touch sensors covering the display and / or two-dimensional force sensors, and / or touch and force sensors forming buttons, trackpads, or other input devices not associated with the display), and other sensors. Touch sensors for the display or other touch components may be based on arrays of capacitive touch sensor electrodes, acoustic touch sensor structures, resistive touch components, force-based touch sensor structures, optical touch sensors, or other suitable touch sensor arrangements. If necessary, the display may be equipped with force sensors for collecting force inputs (e.g., two-dimensional force sensors can be used to collect force inputs on the display).

[0025] If desired, the sensors include optical sensors such as optical sensors for detecting light emission and light, optical touch sensors, optical proximity sensors, and / or other touch sensors and / or proximity sensors, monochrome and color ambient light sensors, image sensors, fingerprint sensors, ultrasonic sensors, temperature sensors, sensors for measuring three-dimensional non-contact gestures ("air gestures"), pressure sensors, sensors for detecting position, orientation and / or motion (e.g., magnetic sensors such as accelerometers and compass sensors, gyroscopes and / or inertial measurement units including some or all of these sensors), health sensors, high-frequency sensors (e.g., sensors that collect positional information, three-dimensional high-frequency images and / or other information using radar principals or other high-frequency sensing), depth sensors (e.g., depth sensors based on structured light sensors and / or stereoscopic imaging devices), self-mixed sensors and light detection and ranging for collecting time-of-flight measurements. The range may include optical sensors such as lidar sensors, humidity sensors, moisture sensors, eye-tracking sensors, 3D sensors (e.g., time-of-flight imaging sensors, pairs of 2D imaging sensors that collect 3D images using binocular vision, 3D structured optics sensors that emit an array of infrared rays or other structured light using an array of lasers or other light emitters and associated optical components, and capture an image of a spot generated when the rays illuminate an object, and / or other 3D imaging sensors), face recognition sensors based on 3D imaging sensors, and / or other sensors.

[0026] In some configurations, component 18 may include mechanical devices for collecting input (e.g., buttons, joysticks, scroll wheels, keypads with movable keys, keyboards with movable keys, and other devices for collecting user input). During operation, device 10 can collect user input using sensors and / or other input / output devices within component 18 (e.g., buttons can be used to collect button press input, touch and / or force sensor overlay displays can be used to collect user touchscreen input and / or force input, touchpads and / or force sensors can be used to collect touch and / or force input, microphones can be used to collect voice input, etc.). The control circuit of device 10 can take action based on the collected information (e.g., by transmitting information to external devices via a wireless or wired path, by supplying output to the user using haptic output devices, visual output devices, audio components, or other input / output devices within the housing 12).

[0027] If desired, the electronic device 10 (e.g., component 18) may include a battery or other energy storage device, connector ports for supporting wired communication with auxiliary equipment and for receiving wired power, and other circuits. In some configurations, device 10 may serve as an accessory and / or include wired and / or wireless accessories (e.g., a keyboard, computer mouse, remote control, trackpad, etc.).

[0028] Device 10 may include one or more displays, such as display 14 (e.g., a display including a two-dimensional capacitive touch sensor and / or other touch sensors, or a non-touch display). The displays may include, for example, organic light-emitting diode displays, liquid crystal displays, displays having arrays of pixels formed from respective light-emitting diodes (e.g., pixel arrays having pixels having light-emitting diodes formed from respective crystalline light-emitting diode dies such as micro-light-emitting diode dies), and / or other displays. The displays may include rigid display structures and flexible display structures. For example, a light-emitting diode display may have a polymer substrate that is flexible enough to be bent. Display 14 may have a rectangular pixel array or a pixel array of another shape for displaying an image to the user, and is therefore sometimes referred to as a pixel array. Display 14 and / or a portion of display 14 may also sometimes be referred to as a display panel, display layer, or pixel layer. Each pixel array in device 10 may be mounted under a transparent housing structure (sometimes referred to as a transparent display cover layer, protective cover layer structure, etc.).

[0029] Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5 show top views of exemplary structures that can be assembled together within the device 10 (for example, by stacking). The exemplary display assembly 30 in Figure 2 has a display panel portion 32 (e.g., a display cover layer, an array of pixels for displaying an image, etc.) and a notch portion 34 (e.g., an inactive area without pixels and having one or more transparent portions for allowing light associated with optical components such as a camera, ambient light sensor, 3D sensor, proximity sensor, etc.). One or more layers of adhesive, such as the exemplary pressure-sensitive adhesive 36 in Figure 3, may be used to attach the structure to the display assembly 30 and / or housing structure (e.g., a rear housing wall member, etc.). In the embodiment of Figure 3, the adhesive 36 includes an outer ring, such as a ring 38 configured to extend along the periphery of the device 10, and includes a notch portion 40 having an opening 42 for accommodating components.

[0030] Figure 4 is a diagram of an exemplary frame (sometimes called a frame member, support structure, or internal housing structure) of device 10. As shown in Figure 4, the frame 44 may include a ring-shaped portion 50 having a protruding tab 52. The tab 52 may extend outward from the page in the orientation of Figure 4 and may have an opening and / or other engaging structure that allows the tab 52 to be used to help attach the frame 44 to other parts of device 10. The frame 44 may be formed from stainless steel and / or other metals (one or more), from a polymer, and / or from other suitable materials. A portion 46 of the frame 44 may have an opening 48 to which each component (e.g., optical components such as a camera, ambient light sensor, 3D sensor, proximity sensor) is attached. These components can receive light passing through the transparent areas in the notch portion 34 in Figure 2 and the opening 42 in Figure 3. In the exemplary configuration, the frame 44 may be attached to a housing structure of device 10 or a structure such as the display assembly 30 in Figure 2 using adhesive 36 in Figure 3.

[0031] During the injection molding process, a polymer, such as the molded polymer 54 shown in Figure 5, can be molded onto the structure of the device 10 (e.g., part or all of the frame 44). The ring-shaped portion 56 of the polymer 54 can surround the notched portion 34 shown in Figure 2. Parts of the frame 44, such as the tab 52, may be left uncovered and / or partially covered with the molded polymer. For example, a tab, such as the exemplary tab 52 shown in Figure 6, may be left uncovered or only partially covered, with the tab opening 52T remaining open and uncovered with polymer. This allows the tab opening 52T and / or other tab structures of the frame 44 to engage with a mating housing member when the device 10 is assembled (e.g., the opening 52T can receive a protruding housing sidewall structure, etc.).

[0032] The display 14 may have a tail portion. The tail of the display 14 (e.g., the tail of the flexible display panel substrate on which the pixel array of the display 14 is formed) can be used to transport data signals, clock signals and other control signals, power signals, and / or other display signals from the component 18 (e.g., a display driver integrated circuit) to the pixel array of the display used to display an image. The tail of the display 14 may be formed from a protruding elongated strip of a flexible polymer (e.g., polyimide) or other display substrate material (e.g., an integral portion of the pixel array substrate). The tail can be bent to fit into the housing 12. For example, the tail of the display may be folded back on itself (e.g., by only 180°). This helps to ensure that any boundary structure surrounding the display 14 may be relatively narrow.

[0033] As shown in Figure 7, the display 14 may have a display panel such as a display panel 14P having an array of pixels P forming an active area AA. During operation of the device 10, an image can be displayed within the active area AA. The display 14 may have an associated protective cover layer such as a transparent display cover layer 60. The display cover layer 60 may be formed from one or more layers of crystalline materials such as glass, transparent polymer, sapphire or other crystalline materials, and / or other transparent structures (one or more). The presence of layer 60 may help protect the outer surface of the display panel 14P from scratches.

[0034] The display panel 14P may include a protruding tail portion, such as a tail 14T (for example, in the embodiment of Figure 7, a flexible tail projecting to the left from the left edge of the rectangular active area AA). When the display 14 is mounted to the housing 12, the tail 14T may be folded over itself, as shown in Figure 7. This can help minimize the size of any inactive display boundaries visible to a user, such as a viewer 22, viewing the display 14 in direction 24. The display control circuit (e.g., a display driver and a timing control circuit) may be formed from thin-film circuits and / or integrated circuits mounted on and / or electrically coupled on a portion 14TP of the tail 14T (as in one embodiment).

[0035] The housing 12 and the display cover layer 60 surround the internal region 62 and separate the internal region 62 from the external region 64 surrounding the device 10. Components 18 (Figure 1) can be mounted within the internal region 62. As shown in Figure 7, the molded polymer 54 may be used to support the tail 14T and other structures within the device 10. The molded polymer 54 can be molded onto the frame 44, as shown in Figure 7. The frame 44 may have portions (e.g., screw holes) configured to receive threaded fasteners such as screws 66, and / or otherwise. Screws such as screws 66 can pass through openings in the housing 12 and be screwed into the threaded portions of the frame 44 to help mechanically attach the housing 12 to the frame 44. If desired, an adhesive such as a pressure-sensitive adhesive 68 may be used when attaching the frame 44 to the housing 12. An adhesive such as an optically transparent adhesive 70 may be used when attaching the display panel 14P to the inward-facing surface of the display cover layer 60.

[0036] In the configuration shown in Figure 7, the frame 44 can help provide internal structural support for the device 10 and can be used with tabs and / or other engaging structures to help attach the frame 44 to the housing wall and other parts of the housing 12. The frame 44 may have one or more parts embedded in the molded polymer 54. This can help secure the frame 44 to the polymer 54. The strength provided by the frame 44 can help prevent deformation and damage to the device 10 (for example, during a drop event that may apply an inward force to the display cover layer 60 in direction 72).

[0037] If desired, one or more portions of the housing 12 may be configured to facilitate engagement with the molded polymer 54. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the housing 12 may have a lip-shaped portion such as a lip 12L. The lip 12L may be a ring-shaped lip extending around part or all of the periphery of the device 10. The lip 12L may project laterally inward from the inside of the side wall of the housing 12 toward the interior 62 and engage with the polymer 54, thereby helping to lock the polymer 54 in place (for example, the lip 12L may function as a locking lip that locks the polymer 54 to the housing 12).

[0038] Figure 8 is a side cross-sectional view of device 10 showing how device 10 may include support structures that help support the display cover layer 60. In the embodiment of Figure 8, the frame 44 has a vertically extending portion that extends between the inward-facing surface 80 of the rear housing wall 12R of the housing 12 and the opposing inward-facing surface 82 of the display cover layer 60. The presence of the vertical support structure of the frame 44 between surfaces 80 and 82 serves to maintain a desired minimum separation between surfaces 80 and 82 and helps prevent over-compression of the polymer 54 when a force is applied to the display cover layer in direction 72 due to an undesirable drop event or other impact.

[0039] To help minimize the width of the inactive display boundary, it may be desirable for the tail 14T to extend into a recess in the edge of the housing 12. This allows for an increase in the size of the active area AA without narrowing the width of the sidewall structure along the entire edge of the housing 12. To mount the display 14 in this type of housing, the tail 14T may be segmented along its width, if desired, so that the tail 14T of the display panel 14P has multiple parallel curved fingers, such as the fingers 14TF in Figure 9.

[0040] As shown in the top view of the housing 12 in Figure 10, the housing 12 (for example, the wall of the housing 12 adjacent to the tail 14T) may have recesses 12R, each configured to receive one individual lateral projection of the fingers 14TF. In the embodiment of Figure 10, each finger 14TF is folded over itself within the individual recesses 12R. Non-recesses 12N of the wall of the housing 12, formed from vertically extending ribs extending parallel to the Z-axis along the inner surface of the side wall of the housing 12, project laterally inward from the side wall of the housing 12 (for example, in the Y-direction in Figure 10) and are positioned between individual pairs of fingers 14TF. If there are no vertical supports formed from the projections 12N of the housing 12, the wall of the housing 12 will be uniformly thinner to accommodate the tail 14T. This thinner size of the wall of the housing 12 may reduce the strength of the housing 12. However, in configurations where the protruding portions 12N are present, these protruding portions function as vertical supports extending between the rear wall of the housing 12 and the inner surface 82 of the display cover layer 60. This is shown in Figure 11, which is a side cross-sectional view of the device 10 in Figure 10. As this embodiment demonstrates, by providing one or more recesses in the housing sidewall to receive one or more corresponding fingers 14TF of the tail 12T, it is possible to reduce the inactive boundary width of the display 14 while maintaining the desired vertical support (resistance to excessive force in direction 72 by the portions 12N that form ridges extending perpendicularly and parallel to the Z-axis along the inner surface of the sidewall of the housing 12).

[0041] If desired, the inner surface 82 of the display cover layer 60 may be provided with an inclined surface that engages with the corresponding inclined surface of the housing 12. For example, as shown in Figure 12, the housing 12 may have a side wall such as a side wall 12W. The side wall 12W may extend along the rectangular periphery of the device 10. The side wall 12W may have a chamfered portion forming an inclined surface 90C on the upper part of the inward-facing side surface 90 of the side wall 12W. The chamfered portion of the side wall 12W can be aligned with the corresponding chamfered portion of the display cover layer 60. As shown in Figure 12, for example, the inner surface 82 of the display cover layer 60 may have a chamfered portion along its periphery that forms an inclined (chamfered) surface 82C.

[0042] The surface normals n1 of surface 82C and n2 of surface 90C may be parallel to each other and oriented at a non-zero angle (e.g., an angle having a value of at least 10°, at least 30°, less than 90°, less than 70°, or other preferred values) with respect to the vertical axis Z (parallel to the surface normal n3 of the outer surface of the display cover layer 60). The angled orientation of surfaces 82C and 90C can help prevent the display cover layer 60 from being pushed inward and compressing (and potentially damaging) the polymer 54 when subjected to an external force in direction 70 (e.g., a force from an undesirable drop event). At the same time, the configuration in Figure 12 helps to seat the display cover layer 60 within the outer periphery of the housing formed by the side wall 12W so that the layer 60 does not slide laterally across the top of the side wall 12W.

[0043] If desired, components (for example, component 18 in Figure 1) can be embedded within the polymer 54. As one embodiment, consider the exemplary configuration shown in the side cross-sectional view of the device 10 in Figure 13. As shown in Figure 13, components can be mounted within the internal region 62 of the device 10. These components may include components 94 and 96 (for example, components 18 in Figure 1, such as integrated circuits, sensors, and input / output devices). Components 94 and 96 can be electrically interconnected using printed circuits and / or other signal paths, such as printed circuit 92.

[0044] The display 14 may have a display panel 14P attached to the underside (surface 82) of the display cover layer 60 with adhesive 70. The molded polymer 54 may surround the curved tail 14T portion of the display panel 14P. The components 94 may, if desired, be optical components such as light-emitting components and / or light-sensing components. Light may be emitted and / or detected by the components 94 at any preferred wavelength (e.g., infrared, visible, and / or ultraviolet). To help guide the light to a desired position, the device 10 may have an optical waveguide structure. As shown in Figure 13, for example, a light guide 98 may be fully or partially embedded in the polymer 54. The light guide 98 may be formed from a transparent elongated light guide structure (e.g., a transparent elongated cylinder or other light guide formed from polymer and / or glass that guides light along its length). In an exemplary configuration, the light guide 98 includes a core surrounded by a cladding having a lower refractive index than the core. If desired, polymer 54 may also function as a cladding layer. These types of configurations and / or other light guide configurations can be used to support guiding light through the light guide 98 according to the principle of total internal reflection.

[0045] During operation, the optical component 94 can generate light that is received at the light guide end face 100 of the light guide 98 and emitted from the light guide 98 at the opposite end face 102 (for example, so that the emitted light can pass through layer 60), and / or receive the light at end face 102 (for example, after passing through layer 60) and guide it through the light guide 98 to end face 100 for sensing by component 94. If desired, the light guide 98 may have one or more bends along its length. Component 94, which can form one of the sensors for device 10 and / or function as an output component or other input / output device for device 10, may include one or more light-emitting devices such as light-emitting diodes and / or lasers, and one or more photodetectors such as photodiodes, image sensors, etc.

[0046] The polymer 54 may be any suitable polymer material, such as a thermosetting polymer (e.g., a photocurable polymer, a thermosetting polymer, etc.) or a thermoplastic polymer (e.g., a thermoplastic polymer that is softened and has reduced viscosity by heating during molding). The molding operation of the polymer 54 may be carried out using pressure applied from a mating part in a molding die to mold the polymer, and / or using injection molding (e.g., using high or low pressure applied to the polymer material to be molded under vacuum conditions, etc.).

[0047] If desired, electrical connections can be formed through molded polymer structures within the device 10. As one embodiment, consider the configuration shown in Figure 14. As shown in Figure 14, the housing 12 of the device 10 may have conductive portions such as metal housing portions 12A and metal housing portions 12C, which are at least partially separated by dielectric portions such as dielectric portion 12B. Portion 12B may be formed from a polymer or other insulator and may have a complete or partial ring shape, such as an O shape, a C shape, or other shape extending along at least a portion of the periphery of the device 10 (for example, along at least three sides of the rectangular periphery of the device 10 surrounding a rectangular display).

[0048] To form an antenna structure, it may be desirable to use conductive structures such as metal housing portions 12A and / or 12C in the device 10. In one embodiment, one or more antennas formed from housing portions 12A and 12C, the display 14P (e.g., metal traces 134 on the printed circuit board portion of the display panel 14P), and / or other conductive structures of the device 10 can be used to transmit and / or receive radio frequency antenna signals for wireless communication, satellite navigation system signals, and / or other wireless communication signals by the device 10.

[0049] A conductive path may be formed between the wireless communication circuit 132 and the antenna structure of the device 10. The circuit 132 may include, for example, a radio frequency transceiver circuit, a low-noise amplifier circuit, a power amplifier circuit, a baseband processor circuit, a filter circuit, an impedance matching circuit, a tuning circuit, and the like. As shown in Figure 14, the circuit 132 may be electrically coupled to the metal trace 134 of the display panel 14P using a signal path such as path 130 (and, if desired, to a conductive structure such as the housing portion 12C, the printed circuit board ground plate, and / or other conductive structures of the device 10 using additional signal paths). These signal paths can be formed using metal traces on a printed circuit, laser-directly structured metal traces on a polymer member, conductive polymer shots in a molded polymer structure, metal members, wires, and / or other conductive path structures.

[0050] In an exemplary configuration, the metal housing portion 12A may be electrically coupled to a metal trace 134 of the display panel 14P, and these metal structures may work together to form at least part of an antenna. The trace 134 may be electrically connected to the metal housing portion 12A using a conductive path formed from a metal structure 126 and a spring 120. The spring 120 may be a corrugated spring having a ring shape that extends around part or all of the periphery of the display 14. Periodically, the corrugated spring undulates outward, pressing against the metal housing member 12A at the position indicated by the spring 120 in Figure 14, thereby forming an electrical connection 122. Periodically, the corrugated spring undulates inward, pressing against the outer surface of the metal structure 126 at position 120', thereby forming an electrical connection 124. In this way, the metal housing portion 12A is short-circuited to the metal structure 126. The device 10 may have any preferred number of connections, such as connections 122 and 124. In one embodiment, there may be 3 to 10 separate connection points between the spring 120 and the housing 12A, and there may also be 3 to 10 separate connection points between the spring 120 and the structure 126 around the peripheral part of the device 10.

[0051] The metal structure 126 may be formed from a single metal ring extending around part or all of the periphery of the display 14. This single metal ring may be at least partially embedded in the molded polymer (for example, it may be formed as an integral part of a common molded part, or it may be formed separately, see molded polymers 54A and 54B). If desired, a set of separate metal inserts may be used instead of a single metal ring. In one embodiment, the metal structure 126 may be formed from 3 to 8 separate metal inserts spaced regularly apart around the periphery of the display 14. The metal inserts may also be at least partially embedded in the molded polymers 54A and / or 54B. As described in relation to Figure 7, the tail portion 14T of the display panel 14P may be embedded in the molded polymer (for example, in molded polymer 54B).

[0052] The metal trace 134 can form one or more connections with the metal structure 126, and / or a separate structure such as copper tape or other conductive material (see, for example, path 128) may be used to connect the trace 134 and the metal structure 126. In general, electrical connections between conductive structures of device 10 can be formed using direct contact, conductive adhesive, solder, welding, metal fasteners, and / or other suitable electrical connection structures.

[0053] By using the type of connection shown in Figure 14, the metal housing portion 12A (for example, a ring-shaped metal housing structure extending along the periphery of the display 14) can be combined with the metal trace 134 associated with the display panel 14P to form at least part of the antenna for the device 10. The use of the metal housing portion 12A and the display panel 14P to form the antenna can help avoid the use of an overly bulky antenna structure in the device 10, and thus can help maintain the desired small size of the device 10.

[0054] The configurations shown in Figures 1 to 14 may be used independently, and / or any suitable number of these configurations (e.g., one or more) may be used in combination with each other.

[0055] As described above, one aspect of this technology is the collection and use of information such as sensor information. This disclosure intends that, in some cases, data may be collected that includes personal information data that uniquely identifies a specific person, or personal information data that can be used to contact a specific person or to indicate the location of a specific person. Such personal information data may include demographic data, location-based data, telephone numbers, email addresses, Twitter IDs, home addresses, data or records relating to a user's health or fitness level (e.g., vital sign measurements, medication information, exercise information), birth dates, usernames, passwords, biometric information, or any other identifying or personal information.

[0056] This disclosure acknowledges that such use of personal information in this technology may be used for the benefit of the user. For example, personal data may be used to deliver more interesting and targeted content to the user. Therefore, the use of such personal data enables users to have control over the content delivered to them. Furthermore, other uses of personal data that benefit users are also intended by this disclosure. For example, health and fitness data can be used to provide insights into a user's overall wellness, or as positive feedback to individuals using technology to pursue wellness goals.

[0057] This disclosure assumes that entities involved in the collection, analysis, disclosure, transmission, storage, or other use of such personal data will adhere to a robust privacy policy and / or privacy practice. Specifically, such entities should implement and consistently use privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for the strict confidentiality of personal data. Such policies should be readily accessible to users and should be updated as data collection and / or use changes. Personal data from users should be collected for the lawful and legitimate use of the entity and should not be shared or sold for any other purpose. Furthermore, such collection / sharing should be carried out only after informing and obtaining the user's consent. In addition, such entities should consider taking all necessary steps to protect and secure access to such personal data and to ensure that others with access to personal data faithfully adhere to those privacy policies and procedures. Furthermore, such entities may undergo third-party evaluations to demonstrate their compliance with widely accepted privacy policies and practices. Furthermore, policies and practices should be adapted to the specific types of personal data collected and / or accessed, and should comply with applicable laws and standards, including jurisdiction-specific considerations. For example, in the United States, the collection or access to certain health data may be governed by federal and / or state laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and health data in other countries may be subject to and should be processed accordingly. Therefore, different privacy practices should be maintained in each country with respect to different types of personal data.

[0058] Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Disclosure also envisions embodiments that allow a user to selectively prevent the use of or access to personal data. That is, the Disclosure intends that hardware and / or software elements may be provided to prevent or prevent access to such personal data. For example, the Technology may be configured to allow a user to choose to “opt in” or “opt out” of participating in the collection of personal data during or at any time thereafter when registering for the Service. In another example, a user may choose not to provide certain types of user data. In yet another example, a user may choose to limit the length of time that user-specific data is retained. In addition to providing “opt-in” and “opt-out” options, the Disclosure intends to provide notices regarding access to or use of personal data. For example, a user may be notified when downloading an application ("App") that will access their personal data, and then be reminded again immediately before the App accesses their personal data.

[0059] Furthermore, the intent of this disclosure is that personal data should be managed and processed in a manner that minimizes the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Risks can be minimized by limiting data collection and deleting data when it is no longer needed. Additionally, where applicable in certain health-related applications, data anonymization can be used to protect user privacy. Anonymization can be facilitated, where necessary, by removing certain identifiers (e.g., date of birth), controlling the amount or specificity of stored data (e.g., collecting location data at the city level rather than the address level), controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data across users), and / or by other means.

[0060] Accordingly, while this disclosure extensively involves using information that may include personal data to implement one or more different disclosed embodiments, this disclosure also intends that the different embodiments may also be implemented without requiring access to personal data. In other words, the different embodiments of the technology will not be rendered inoperable by the absence of all or part of such personal data.

[0061] According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided comprising: a display layer having a curved tail; a housing wall having an inward-facing surface, the housing wall having a recess on the inward-facing surface configured to receive the curved tail; and a molded polymer within the recess, in which at least a portion of the curved tail is embedded.

[0062] According to another embodiment, the recess is formed from a plurality of indentations in the housing wall, each separated by an intervening protruding wall.

[0063] According to another embodiment, the curved tail includes parallel fingers, each receiving into one of the individual recesses.

[0064] According to another embodiment, the molding polymer is It includes a ring-shaped polymer structure that extends along the periphery of the display layer.

[0065] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes a frame at least partially embedded in a ring-shaped polymer structure.

[0066] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes a threaded fastener, and the frame includes at least one threaded opening configured to receive the threaded fastener.

[0067] According to another embodiment, the housing wall includes an opening for receiving threaded fasteners.

[0068] According to another embodiment, the housing wall has a locking lip that protrudes inward into the molded polymer.

[0069] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes an optical light guide that passes through a molded polymer.

[0070] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes an optical component at the end face of the optical light guide.

[0071] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes a display cover layer that overlaps the display layer, and the optical light guide has an end face adjacent to the surface of the display layer.

[0072] According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided that includes a display layer having an array of pixels, a display cover layer having an inward-facing display cover layer surface overlapping the display layer, a housing having an inward-facing housing surface, a molded polymer, and a frame having a portion at least partially embedded in the molded polymer and extending between the inward-facing housing surface and the inward-facing display cover layer surface.

[0073] According to another embodiment, the housing has a side wall portion having an inwardly projecting locking lip that penetrates into the molded polymer.

[0074] According to another embodiment, the housing has a side wall portion having a chamfered portion that forms an inclined housing side wall surface, and the display cover layer has a chamfered portion that forms a corresponding inclined display cover layer surface that fits with the inclined housing side wall surface.

[0075] According to another embodiment, the frame has a plurality of tabs having openings.

[0076] According to another embodiment, the frame includes a metal frame.

[0077] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes a light guide embedded in a molded polymer.

[0078] According to another embodiment, the display layer has a curved tail that is at least partially embedded in the molded polymer.

[0079] According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided having a rectangular outer shape and ends on both sides, comprising: a display cover layer; a flexible display layer covered by the display cover layer and having a curved tail at one of its ends; a molded polymer in which at least a portion of the curved tail is embedded; a housing having a rear wall; and a metal structure extending from the rear wall through the molded polymer to the display cover layer.

[0080] According to another embodiment, the metal structure includes a portion of a metal frame.

[0081] According to another embodiment, the housing has side walls, and the metal structure includes a portion of the side walls.

[0082] According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided comprising: a display cover layer; a display panel covered by the display cover layer and having a curved tail; a molded polymer in which at least a portion of the curved tail is embedded; a housing having first and second metal housing portions at least partially separated by a dielectric, wherein the first metal housing portion extends along the periphery of the display cover layer; a wireless communication circuit; and a metal structure embedded in the molded polymer that forms at least a portion of a conductive path between the wireless communication circuit and the first metal housing portion.

[0083] According to another embodiment, the electronic device includes a spring that contacts the first metal housing portion.

[0084] According to another embodiment, the spring includes a corrugated spring positioned between the first metal housing portion and the metal structure.

[0085] According to another embodiment, the display panel has a metal trace that, together with a first metal housing portion, forms at least a portion of an antenna, and a metal structure and a spring electrically couple the metal trace to the first metal housing portion.

[0086] According to another embodiment, the metal structure includes a metal ring at least partially embedded in a molded polymer.

[0087] According to another embodiment, the metal structure includes a set of metal inserts at least partially embedded in the molded polymer.

[0088] The above is merely illustrative, and various modifications may be made to the described embodiments. The above embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Claims

1. A display layer having a curved tail, A housing wall comprising a first inward-facing surface, a second inward-facing surface, and a locking lip projecting inward into the molded polymer, The molded polymer bonded to the first and second inward-facing surfaces, wherein at least a portion of the curved tail is embedded in the molded polymer and the locking lip protrudes inward into the molded polymer, An electronic device equipped with the following features.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the molded polymer includes a ring-shaped polymer structure extending along the periphery of the display layer.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, further comprising a frame at least partially embedded in the ring-shaped polymer structure.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, further comprising a threaded fastener, wherein the frame includes at least one threaded opening configured to receive the threaded fastener.

5. The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the housing wall includes an opening for receiving the threaded fastener.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the housing wall has a recess on the first inward surface configured to receive the curved tail.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a frame at least partially embedded in the molded polymer.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the curved tail comprises opposing first and second surfaces, the first portion of the molded polymer being bonded to the first surface, and the second portion of the molded polymer being bonded to the second surface.

9. A display layer having an array of pixels and opposing first and second surfaces, A display cover layer having an inward-facing display cover layer surface that overlaps the display layer, A housing having an inward-facing housing surface, A molded polymer bonded to the inward-facing housing surface, wherein a portion of the display layer is embedded within the molded polymer, a first portion of the molded polymer is bonded to the first surface, a second portion of the molded polymer is bonded to the second surface, and the molded polymer includes a ring-shaped polymer structure extending along the periphery of the display layer, An electronic device equipped with the following features.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the molded polymer is bonded to the display cover layer.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the inward-facing housing surface is a side wall surface, the housing further comprises a rear wall, and the molded polymer extends from the rear wall to the display cover layer.

12. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the portion of the display layer comprises a curved tail.

13. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the inward-facing housing surface is a first inward-facing housing surface, the housing further comprises a second inward-facing housing surface, and the molded polymer is bonded to the first and second inward-facing housing surfaces.

14. The electronic device according to claim 9, further comprising a frame at least partially embedded in the molded polymer.

15. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the frame is a metal frame.

16. A housing wall having an inward-facing surface, The molded polymer bonded to the inward surface, A display layer having a curved tail, wherein a portion of the curved tail is embedded in the molded polymer, A frame, wherein the molded polymer is bonded to the frame, and the frame is bonded to the housing wall with fasteners, An electronic device equipped with the following features.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the molded polymer is molded onto the frame.

18. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the inward-facing surface is a first inward-facing surface, the housing wall further comprises a second inward-facing surface, and the frame is coupled to the second inward-facing surface by the fastener.

19. The electronic device according to claim 18, wherein the fastener comprises a threaded fastener.

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