Electronic device comprising window assembly and method for manufacturing window assembly

Abstract

An embodiment of the present disclosure may provide an electronic device. The electronic device may comprise: a housing; a display panel disposed in the housing; and a window assembly disposed on one surface of the display panel, wherein an image output from the display panel is provided to the outside of the electronic device through the window assembly. The window assembly may include: a cover window including a first surface exposed to the outside of the electronic device, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and an edge surface connecting the first surface and the second surface; and a coating layer disposed on a portion of the cover window. The edge surface of the cover window of the window assembly may include a first edge region extending from the first surface, and a second edge region extending from the second surface. The coating layer of the window assembly may be disposed on the first surface of the cover window and on the first edge region of the edge surface.

Description

Electronic device including a window assembly and method for manufacturing the window assembly

[0001] Examples disclosed in the present disclosure relate to an electronic device including a window assembly and a method of manufacturing the window assembly.

[0002] Advances in information and communication technology and semiconductor technology are integrating diverse functions into a single portable electronic device. For example, electronic devices can implement not only communication functions but also entertainment functions such as gaming, multimedia functions such as music and video playback, communication and security functions for mobile banking, or even calendar management and electronic wallet functions. These electronic devices are becoming smaller and more portable for users.

[0003] An electronic device may include a display and a cover window for protecting the display from external physical / chemical impacts. The cover window may be laminated on the front surface of the display and exposed to the exterior of the electronic device. A coating layer(s) may be provided on the front surface of the cover window to control front reflection characteristics and improve optical clarity. Such a coating layer may be formed to provide functional properties such as transparency, scratch resistance, and abrasion resistance, for example.

[0004] The above information may be provided as background information to aid in understanding the present disclosure. No claim or determination is made as to whether any of the above is applicable as prior art related to the present disclosure.

[0005] Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to address at least the problems and / or disadvantages described above and provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, one aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic device including a window assembly and a method for manufacturing the window assembly.

[0006] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description below, and in part will be apparent from the description or may be learned by practicing the embodiments set forth.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device may be provided. The electronic device may include a housing, a display panel disposed within the housing, and a window assembly disposed on one side of the display panel, wherein an image output from the display panel is provided to the outside of the electronic device through the window assembly, and the window assembly may include a cover window including a first side exposed to the outside of the electronic device, a second side opposite the first side, and an edge side connecting the first side and the second side, and a coating layer disposed on a portion of the cover window. The edge side of the cover window of the window assembly may include a first edge region extending from the first side and a second edge region extending from the second side. The coating layer of the window assembly may be disposed on the first edge region of the first side and the edge side of the cover window.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing a window assembly of an electronic device may be provided. The method may include an operation of preparing a cover window, an operation of introducing an adhesive material into the cover window, an operation of curing the adhesive material and bonding it to the cover window, an operation of forming a coating layer on a portion of the cover window, and an operation of removing the cured adhesive material.

[0009] Other aspects, advantages and salient features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of various embodiments of the present disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0010] The above-described aspects or other aspects, configurations and / or advantages of one embodiment of the present disclosure may be further clarified by the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a front exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a rear exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of FIG. 2, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 6b is an enlarged view of portion B of FIG. 6a according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 8A is a plan view of a cover window according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 8b is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C' of FIG. 8a, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of a cover window according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 10A is a plan view of a fixing member according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 10b is a side cross-sectional view of a fixing member taken along line D-D' of FIG. 10a, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 10c is an enlarged view of portion E of FIG. 10b according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a method for manufacturing a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 12a is a plan view showing a fixing member and an adhesive member according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 12b is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F' of FIG. 12a, showing a fixing member and an adhesive member according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 13A is a plan view showing a fixing member, an adhesive member, and a cover window according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 13b is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I' of FIG. 13a, showing a fixing member, an adhesive member, and a cover window according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 14A is a plan view illustrating a fixing member, an adhesive member, and a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 14b is a cross-sectional view taken along line J-J' of FIG. 13a showing a fixing member, an adhesive member, and a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 14c is an enlarged view of portion K of FIG. 14b according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 15a is an enlarged view of portion H of FIG. 6b, showing a housing, a window assembly, and a display panel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 15b is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 15a according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of portion H of FIG. 6b, showing a housing and window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of portion H of FIG. 6b, showing a housing and window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 18A is a side view of a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 18b is an enlarged view of portion M of FIG. 18a, showing a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] FIG. 18c is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a fixing member, an adhesive member, and a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] FIG. 19A is a cross-sectional side view of a housing, a window assembly, and a display panel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 19b is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a fixing member, an adhesive member, and a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] FIG. 20 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a fixing member, an adhesive member, and a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] FIG. 21 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a fixing member, an adhesive member, and a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Throughout the attached drawings, similar reference numbers may be assigned to similar parts, components and / or structures.

[0045] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, is provided to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of various embodiments of the present invention as defined by the claims and their equivalents. While the following description includes numerous specific details to aid understanding, these should be considered merely illustrative. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and variations of the various embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0046] The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not intended to be limited by their bibliographic meanings, but are merely used by the inventors to ensure a clear and consistent understanding of the disclosure. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the present invention is provided solely for illustrative purposes, not for the purpose of limiting the present invention, which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0047] The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" should be understood to include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a surface of a part" includes reference to one or more of these surfaces.

[0048] It should be understood that each block of the flowchart and the combination of the flowcharts can be performed by one or more computer programs containing computer-executable instructions. The entirety of one or more computer programs may be stored in a single memory device, or the one or more computer programs may be divided into different parts stored in different memory devices.

[0049] The functions or operations described herein may be performed by a single processor or a combination of processors. A single processor or a combination of processors is a circuit that performs processing and includes an application processor (AP, e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), a communication processor (CP, e.g., a modem), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU) (e.g., an artificial intelligence (AI) chip), a wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) chip, a Bluetooth™ chip, a global positioning system (GPS) chip, a near-field communication (NFC) chip, a connection chip, a sensor controller, a touch controller, a fingerprint sensor controller, a display driver integrated circuit (IC), an audio codec chip, a universal serial bus (USB) controller, a camera controller, an image processing IC, a microprocessor unit (MPU), a system on a chip (SoC), an IC, or a similar circuit.

[0050] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 1, in a network environment (100), an electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with an electronic device (104) or a server (108) via a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) via the server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), a memory (130), an input module (150), an audio output module (155), a display module (160), an audio module (170), a sensor module (176), an interface (177), a connection terminal (178), a haptic module (179), a camera module (180), a power management module (188), a battery (189), a communication module (190), a subscriber identification module (196), or an antenna module (197). In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may have at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (178)) omitted, or one or more other components added. In one embodiment, some of these components (e.g., the sensor module (176), the camera module (180), or the antenna module (197)) may be integrated into one component (e.g., the display module (160)).

[0052] The processor (120) may, for example, execute software (e.g., a program (140)) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) and perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculations, the processor (120) may store commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in a volatile memory (132), process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory (132), and store result data in a non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or a secondary processor (123) (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor)) that can operate independently or together therewith. For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and a secondary processor (123), the secondary processor (123) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a specified function. The secondary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.

[0053] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least a portion of functions or states associated with at least one component (e.g., a display module (160), a sensor module (176), or a communication module (190)) of the electronic device (101), for example, on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another functionally related component (e.g., a camera module (180) or a communication module (190)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing artificial intelligence models. The artificial intelligence models may be generated through machine learning. This learning can be performed, for example, in the electronic device (101) itself where artificial intelligence is performed, or can be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm can include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model can include multiple artificial neural network layers.The artificial neural network may be one of a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to, or alternatively to, a hardware structure, an artificial intelligence model may include a software structure.

[0054] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)) of the electronic device (101). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., program (140)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (130) can include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).

[0055] The program (140) may be stored as software in the memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

[0056] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a processor (120)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The input module (150) can include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0057] The audio output module (155) can output audio signals to the outside of the electronic device (101). The audio output module (155) can include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. In one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0058] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external device (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) may include, for example, a display, a hall area program device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. In one embodiment, the display module (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.

[0059] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150), output sound through the sound output module (155), or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (101).

[0060] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating status (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (101) or the external environmental status (e.g., user status) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected status. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) can include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0061] The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). In one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0062] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0063] A haptic module (179) can convert electrical signals into mechanical stimuli (e.g., vibration or movement) or electrical stimuli that a user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic sensations. In one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0064] The camera module (180) can capture still images and videos. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0065] The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented, for example, as at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0066] A battery (189) may power at least one component of the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0067] The communication module (190) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may operate independently from the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, the corresponding communication module can communicate with an external electronic device (104) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules can be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) can verify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) by using subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0068] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following the 4G network, such as NR access technology (new radio access technology). The NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (104)), or a network system (e.g., the second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) can support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC realization.

[0069] The antenna module (197) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from an external device (e.g., an external electronic device). In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network (198) or the second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. In one embodiment, in addition to the radiator, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module (197).

[0070] In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. In one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent to a first side (e.g., a bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high-frequency band (e.g., a mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna) disposed on or adjacent to a second side (e.g., a top side or a side side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high-frequency band.

[0071] At least some of the above components can be interconnected and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., a bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)).

[0072] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) via a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102 or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (101) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, when the electronic device (101) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may, instead of or in addition to executing the function or service itself, request one or more external electronic devices to perform the function or at least a part of the service. One or more external electronic devices that receive the request may execute at least a portion of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may process the result as is or additionally and provide it as at least a portion of a response to the request. For this purpose, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used, for example. The electronic device (101) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server using machine learning and / or a neural network. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included in the second network (199).The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0073] In the detailed description below, the longitudinal direction, the width direction, and / or the thickness direction of the electronic device may be mentioned, and the longitudinal direction may be defined as the 'Y-axis direction', the width direction as the 'X-axis direction', and / or the thickness direction as the 'Z-axis direction'. In one embodiment, with respect to the direction that a component is oriented, 'negative / positive (- / +)' may be mentioned together with the orthogonal coordinate system illustrated in the drawings. For example, the front of the electronic device or the housing may be defined as the 'side facing the +Z direction', and the back side may be defined as the 'side facing the -Z direction'. In one embodiment, the side of the electronic device or the housing may include a region facing the +X direction, a region facing the +Y direction, a region facing the -X direction, and / or a region facing the -Y direction. Also, in one embodiment, the 'X-axis direction' may mean both the '-X direction' and the '+X direction'. It should be noted that this is based on the orthogonal coordinate system illustrated in the drawings for the sake of brevity of description, and that the description of these directions or components does not limit one embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the aforementioned front or rear facing direction may vary depending on whether the electronic device is unfolded or folded, and the aforementioned direction may be interpreted differently depending on the user's gripping habits.

[0074] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the front side of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the rear side of the electronic device illustrated in FIG. 2 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIGS. 2 and 3 may be all or part of the same as the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1.

[0075] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, an electronic device (101) according to one embodiment may include a housing (210) including a first outer surface (or front surface) (210A) (or the first surface (210A)), a second outer surface (or back surface) (210B) (or the second surface (210B), and a side surface (210C) surrounding a space between the first outer surface (210A) and the second outer surface (210B). In one embodiment (not shown), the housing (210) may refer to a structure forming a portion of the first outer surface (210A) of FIG. 2, the second outer surface (210B) of FIG. 3, and the side surface (210C). According to one embodiment, the first outer surface (210A) may be formed by a front plate (202) (e.g., a glass plate including various coating layers, or a polymer plate) that is at least partially transparent. The outer surface (210B) may be formed by a substantially opaque back plate (218). The back plate (218) may be formed of, for example, coated or colored glass, ceramic, polymer, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium), or a combination of at least two of the foregoing materials. The side surface (210C) may be formed by a side structure (or “side bezel structure”) (211) that is joined to the front plate (202) and the back plate (218) and comprises a metal and / or polymer. In one embodiment, the back plate (218) and the side structure (211) may be formed integrally and comprise the same material (e.g., a metal material such as aluminum).

[0076] Although not shown, the front plate (202) may include a seamlessly extending region(s) that curves toward the back plate (218) at least along a portion of an edge. In one embodiment, the front plate (202) (or the back plate (218)) may include only one of the curved extending regions toward the back plate (218) (or the front plate (202)) at one edge of the first outer surface (210A). In some embodiments, the front plate (202) or the back plate (218) may be substantially flat, in which case it may not include a curved extending region. When it includes a curved extending region, the thickness of the electronic device (101) in the portion that includes the curved extending region may be less than the thickness of the other portions.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include one or more of a display (201), an audio module (not shown) including at least one sound hole (203, 207, 214) (e.g., audio module (170) of FIG. 1), a sensor module (204) (e.g., sensor module (176) of FIG. 1), a camera module (205, 215, 213) (e.g., camera module (180) of FIG. 1), a key input device (217) (e.g., input module (150) of FIG. 1), or a connector hole (208, 209) (e.g., connection terminal (178) of FIG. 1). In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of the components (e.g., key input device (217) or light emitting element (206)) or may additionally include other components.

[0078] In one embodiment, the display (201) may be visually exposed, for example, through a substantial portion of the front plate (202). In one embodiment, at least a portion of the display (201) may be visually exposed through the front plate (202) forming the first outer surface (210A) or through a portion of a side surface (210C). In one embodiment, the corners of the display (201) may be formed to be substantially the same as the adjacent outer shape of the front plate (202). In one embodiment (not shown), the gap between the outer edge of the display (201) and the outer edge of the front plate (202) may be formed to be substantially the same in order to expand the area over which the display (201) is visually exposed.

[0079] In one embodiment (not shown), a recess or opening may be formed in a portion of a screen display area (or active area) of the display (201), and at least one of an acoustic hole (214), a sensor module (204), a camera module (205), and a light-emitting element (206) may be included that are aligned with the recess or opening. In one embodiment (not shown), at least one of an acoustic hole (214), a sensor module (204), a camera module (205), a fingerprint sensor (not shown), and a light-emitting element (206) may be included on a back surface of the screen display area of ​​the display (201). In one embodiment (not shown), the display (201) may be coupled to or disposed adjacent to a touch detection circuit, a pressure sensor capable of measuring the intensity (pressure) of a touch, and / or a digitizer that detects a magnetic field-type stylus pen. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the sensor module (204) and / or at least a portion of the key input device (217) may be positioned on the side (210C).

[0080] According to one embodiment, the audio module (not shown) may include a microphone hole (203) and sound holes (207, 214). The microphone hole (203) may have a microphone disposed inside to acquire external sound, and in one embodiment, multiple microphones may be disposed to detect the direction of the sound. According to one embodiment, the sound holes (207, 214) may include an external sound hole (207) and a receiver hole (214) for calls. In one embodiment, the sound holes (207, 214) and the microphone hole (203) may be implemented as a single hole, or a speaker may be included in the audio module without the sound holes (207, 214) (e.g., a piezo speaker).

[0081] According to one embodiment, the sensor module (204) may generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to an internal operating state of the electronic device (101) or an external environmental state. The sensor module (204) may include, for example, a first sensor module (204) (e.g., a proximity sensor) and / or a second sensor module (not shown) (e.g., a fingerprint sensor) disposed on a first outer surface (210A) of the housing (210). According to an embodiment, an additional sensor module may be disposed on a second outer surface (210B) of the housing (210). The fingerprint sensor (not shown) may be disposed on not only the first outer surface (210A) of the housing (210) (e.g., the display (201)), but also the second outer surface (210B) or a side surface (210C). The electronic device (101) may further include, for example, at least one of a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0082] In one embodiment, the camera modules (205, 215, 213) may include a first camera module (205) facing the first outer surface (210A) of the electronic device (101), and a second camera module (215) and / or a flash (213) facing the second outer surface (210B). For example, the first camera module (205) and / or the second camera module (215) may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, and / or an image signal processor. In one embodiment, some of the camera modules (205) and / or some of the sensor modules (e.g., the sensor module (204)) among the camera modules (205, 215) may be arranged to be exposed to the outside through at least a portion of the display (201). According to one embodiment, the first camera module (205) may include a punch hole camera that is disposed within a hole or recess formed in the back surface of the display (201). For example, the first camera module (205) may receive at least a portion of light incident from within the electronic device (101) toward the first outer surface (210A) (or front surface) of the electronic device (101) through the display (201). According to one embodiment, the first camera module (205) and / or the sensor module (204) may be disposed so as to be in contact with the external environment through a transparent area from the internal space of the electronic device (101) to the front plate (202) of the display (201). Additionally, some of the sensor modules (204) may be disposed so as to perform their functions without being visually exposed through the front plate (202) in the internal space of the electronic device.

[0083] In one embodiment, the second camera module (215) may be disposed inside the housing (210) such that the lens is exposed to the second outer surface (210B) (or rear surface) of the electronic device (101). For example, the second camera module (215) may be electrically connected to a printed circuit board (e.g., the printed circuit board (240a) of FIG. 4). For example, the flash (213) may include a light-emitting diode or a xenon lamp. In one embodiment, one or more lenses (an infrared camera, a wide-angle lens, and a telephoto lens) and image sensors may be disposed on one surface of the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the flash (213) may emit infrared light. For example, infrared light emitted from the flash (213) and reflected by a subject may be received through a sensor module (not shown) disposed on the second outer surface (210B) of the housing (210). An electronic device (101) or a processor (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1) can detect depth information of a subject based on the point in time when infrared rays are received from the sensor module.

[0084] The camera modules (205, 215, 213) are not limited to the above structure, and may be designed in various ways, such as by mounting only some camera modules or adding new camera modules, depending on the structure of the electronic device (101).

[0085] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a plurality of camera modules (e.g., dual cameras or triple cameras) each having different properties (e.g., angles of view) or functions. For example, the electronic device (101) may include a plurality of camera modules (205, 215) each having a different angle of view, and the electronic device (101) may control the camera modules (205, 215) to change the angle of view of the camera modules (205, 215) operated by the electronic device (101) based on a user's selection. For example, at least one of the plurality of camera modules (205, 215) may be a wide-angle camera, and at least another may be a telephoto camera. Similarly, at least one of the plurality of camera modules (205, 215) may be a front camera, and at least another may be a rear camera. Additionally, the plurality of camera modules (205, 215) may include at least one of a wide-angle camera, a telephoto camera, or an infrared (IR) camera (e.g., a time of flight (TOF) camera, a structured light camera). In one embodiment, the IR camera may be operated as at least a part of a sensor module. For example, the TOF camera may be operated as at least a part of a sensor module (not shown) for detecting a distance to a subject.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the key input device (217) may be disposed on a side surface (210C) of the housing (210). In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may not include some or all of the above-mentioned key input devices (217), and the key input devices (217) that are not included may be implemented in other forms, such as soft keys, on the display (201). In one embodiment, the key input device may include a sensor module disposed on a second outer surface (210B) of the housing (210).

[0087] In one embodiment, the light-emitting element (206) may be disposed, for example, on the first outer surface (210A) of the housing (210). The light-emitting element (206) may provide, for example, status information of the electronic device (101) in the form of light. In one embodiment, the light-emitting element (206) may provide, for example, a light source that is linked to the operation of the camera module (205). The light-emitting element (206) may include, for example, an LED, an IR LED, and a xenon lamp.

[0088] According to one embodiment, the connector holes (208, 209) may include a first connector hole (208) that can accommodate a connector (e.g., a USB connector) for transmitting and receiving power and / or data with an external electronic device, and / or a second connector hole (e.g., an earphone jack) (209) that can accommodate a connector for transmitting and receiving audio signals with an external electronic device.

[0089] FIG. 4 is a front exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a rear exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0090] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, an electronic device (101) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 and / or the electronic device (101) of FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) includes a display (201) (e.g., the display (201) of FIG. 2), a front plate (202) (e.g., the front plate (202) of FIG. 2), a support structure (212) (e.g., a bracket), a side bezel structure (or side bezel structure) (222), a camera module (230) (e.g., the camera module (180) of FIG. 1), at least one printed circuit board (or board assembly) (240a, 240b), a battery (245) (e.g., the battery (189) of FIG. 1), a rear case (250), an antenna (not shown) (e.g., the antenna module (197) of FIG. 1) and / or a rear plate (290) (e.g., the rear of FIG. 3). It may include a plate (218)). According to one embodiment, when including a plurality of printed circuit boards (240a, 240b), the electronic device (101) may include at least one flexible printed circuit board (240c) to electrically connect different printed circuit boards. For example, the printed circuit boards (240a, 240b) may include a first circuit board (240a) positioned above the battery (245) (e.g., in the +Y-axis direction) and a second circuit board (240b) positioned below the battery (245) (e.g., in the -Y-axis direction), and the flexible printed circuit board (240c) may electrically connect the first circuit board (240a) and the second circuit board (240b).

[0091] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of the components (e.g., the support structure (212), the rear case (250), or the flexible printed circuit board (240c)) or may additionally include other components. At least one of the components of the electronic device (101) may be identical or similar to at least one of the components of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, and any redundant description thereof will be omitted below.

[0092] In one embodiment, the support structure (212) may be provided at least in a flat shape. In one embodiment, the support structure (212) may be disposed within the electronic device (101) and connected to or formed integrally with the side structure (211). For example, the support structure (212) may be formed of a conductive material and / or a non-conductive material (e.g., a polymer). When the support structure (212) at least partially comprises a conductive material such as a metal, the side structure (211) or a portion of the support structure (212) may function as an antenna. The support structure (212) may include two sides facing opposite directions. The display (201) may be disposed on one of the two sides of the support structure (212), and the printed circuit board (240a, 240b) may be disposed on the other side.

[0093] In one embodiment, the support structure (212) and the side structure (211) may be combined and referred to as a front case or housing (210). In one embodiment, the housing (210) may be generally understood as a structure for accommodating, protecting, or arranging electrical / electronic components, such as printed circuit boards (240a, 240b) or batteries (245). In one embodiment, the housing (210) may be understood as including structures that can be visually or tactilely perceived by a user on the exterior of the electronic device (101), for example, the side structure (211), the front plate (202), and / or the back plate (290). In one embodiment, the front or back of the housing (210) may refer to the first outer surface (210A) of FIG. 2 or the second outer surface (210B) of FIG. 3. In one embodiment, the support structure (212) is disposed between the front plate (202) (e.g., the first outer surface (210A) of FIG. 2) and the back plate (290) (e.g., the second outer surface (210B) of FIG. 3) and may function as a structure for arranging electrical / electronic components such as a printed circuit board (240a, 240b) or a camera module (230). In the detailed description below, the camera module (230) of the electronic device (101) may be generally illustrated as including a configuration that receives light incident through the second outer surface (210B) of the electronic device (101), but the electronic device (101) may further include a camera module (e.g., the camera module (205) of FIG. 2) and / or a sensor module (e.g., the sensor module (204) of FIG. 2) disposed to be exposed to the outside through at least a portion of the display (201).

[0094] In one embodiment, the camera module (230) may include at least one camera module, for example, at least one of the plurality of camera modules illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. In one embodiment, the camera module (230) may be disposed on a portion of the support structure (212) adjacent to the printed circuit board (240a, 240b). In one embodiment, the camera module (230) may be at least partially enclosed by the rear case (250) (e.g., the upper rear case (250a)). In one embodiment, the camera module (230) may receive at least a portion of light incident through an optical hole or a cover window (232, 233) disposed on the rear of the electronic device (101) (e.g., the second outer surface (210B) of FIG. 3) within the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the camera module (230) may be aligned with one or more of the cover window(s) (232, 233).

[0095] According to one embodiment, a circuit device (e.g., a processor), a communication module (e.g., a communication module (190) of FIG. 1), a power management module (e.g., a power management module (188)), or a memory (e.g., a memory (130) of FIG. 1), an interface (e.g., an interface (177) of FIG. 1), or various electrical / electronic components implemented in the form of an integrated circuit chip may be disposed on the printed circuit board (240a, 240b). The processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1) may include one or more of a central processing unit, an application processor, a graphics processing unit, an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor. The memory may include, for example, a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory. The interface may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, and / or an audio interface. The interface may, for example, electrically or physically connect the electronic device (101) to an external electronic device, and may include a USB connector, an SD card / MMC connector, or an audio connector. In some embodiments, the printed circuit board (240a, 240b) may be provided with an electromagnetic shielding environment from the rear case (250).

[0096] According to one embodiment, the battery (245) is a device for supplying power to at least one component of the electronic device (101), and may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell. At least a portion of the battery (245) may be disposed substantially on the same plane as, for example, the printed circuit boards (240a, 240b). The battery (245) may be disposed integrally within the electronic device (101), or may be disposed detachably from the electronic device (101).

[0097] In one embodiment, the rear case (250) may include an upper rear case (250a) and a lower rear case (250b). In one embodiment, the upper rear case (250a) may be arranged to surround a printed circuit board (240a, 240b) (e.g., a first circuit board (240a)) together with a portion of the support structure (212). For example, the upper rear case (250a) may be arranged to face the support structure (212) with the first circuit board (240a) interposed therebetween.

[0098] In one embodiment, the lower rear case (250b) can be utilized as a structure on which various electrical / electronic components, including interfaces (e.g., a USB connector, an SD card / MMC connector, or an audio connector), can be placed. In one embodiment, electrical / electronic components, such as interfaces (e.g., a USB connector, an SD card / MMC connector, or an audio connector), can be placed on an additional printed circuit board (not shown). In this case, the lower rear case (250b) can be placed to surround the additional printed circuit board (not shown) together with another part of the support structure (212). For example, the interfaces placed on the additional printed circuit board (not shown) or the lower rear case (250b) (not shown) can be placed corresponding to the sound hole (207) or the connector holes (208, 209) of FIG. 2.

[0099] In one embodiment, the antenna (not shown) may include a conductive pattern implemented on the surface of the rear case (250), for example, through a laser direct structuring method. In one embodiment, the antenna may include a printed circuit pattern formed on the surface of a thin film, and the thin film-type antenna may be disposed between the rear plate (290) and the battery (245). The antenna may include, for example, a near field communication (NFC) antenna, a wireless charging antenna, and / or a magnetic secure transmission (MST) antenna. The antenna may, for example, perform short-range communication with an external device or wirelessly transmit and receive power required for charging. In one embodiment, another antenna structure may be formed by a part or a combination of the support structure (212) and / or the side structure (211).

[0100] FIG. 4 is a front exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a rear exploded perspective view of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0101] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, an electronic device (101) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1 and / or the electronic device (101) of FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) includes a display (201) (e.g., the display (201) of FIG. 2), a front plate (202) (e.g., the front plate (202) of FIG. 2), a support structure (212) (e.g., a bracket), a side bezel structure (or side bezel structure) (222), a camera module (230) (e.g., the camera module (180) of FIG. 1), at least one printed circuit board (or board assembly) (240a, 240b), a battery (245) (e.g., the battery (189) of FIG. 1), a rear case (250), an antenna (not shown) (e.g., the antenna module (197) of FIG. 1) and / or a rear plate (290) (e.g., the rear of FIG. 3). It may include a plate (218)). According to one embodiment, when including a plurality of printed circuit boards (240a, 240b), the electronic device (101) may include at least one flexible printed circuit board (240c) to electrically connect different printed circuit boards. For example, the printed circuit boards (240a, 240b) may include a first circuit board (240a) positioned above the battery (245) (e.g., in the +Y-axis direction) and a second circuit board (240b) positioned below the battery (245) (e.g., in the -Y-axis direction), and the flexible printed circuit board (240c) may electrically connect the first circuit board (240a) and the second circuit board (240b).

[0102] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of the components (e.g., the support structure (212), the rear case (250), or the flexible printed circuit board (240c)) or may additionally include other components. At least one of the components of the electronic device (101) may be identical or similar to at least one of the components of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, and any redundant description thereof will be omitted below.

[0103] In one embodiment, the support structure (212) may be provided at least in a flat shape. In one embodiment, the support structure (212) may be disposed within the electronic device (101) and connected to or formed integrally with the side structure (211). For example, the support structure (212) may be formed of a conductive material and / or a non-conductive material (e.g., a polymer). When the support structure (212) at least partially comprises a conductive material such as a metal, the side structure (211) or a portion of the support structure (212) may function as an antenna. The support structure (212) may include two sides facing opposite directions. The display (201) may be disposed on one of the two sides of the support structure (212), and the printed circuit board (240a, 240b) may be disposed on the other side.

[0104] In one embodiment, the support structure (212) and the side structure (211) may be combined and referred to as a front case or housing (210). In one embodiment, the housing (210) may be generally understood as a structure for accommodating, protecting, or arranging electrical / electronic components, such as printed circuit boards (240a, 240b) or batteries (245). In one embodiment, the housing (210) may be understood as including structures that can be visually or tactilely perceived by a user on the exterior of the electronic device (101), for example, the side structure (211), the front plate (202), and / or the back plate (290). In one embodiment, the front or back of the housing (210) may refer to the first side (210A) of FIG. 2 or the second side (210B) of FIG. 3. In one embodiment, the support structure (212) is disposed between the front plate (202) (e.g., the first side (210A) of FIG. 2) and the back plate (290) (e.g., the second side (210B) of FIG. 3) and may function as a structure for arranging electrical / electronic components such as a printed circuit board (240a, 240b) or a camera module (230). In the detailed description below, the camera module (230) of the electronic device (101) may be generally illustrated as including a configuration that receives light incident through the second side (210B) of the electronic device (101), but the electronic device (101) may further include a camera module (e.g., the camera module (205) of FIG. 2) and / or a sensor module (e.g., the sensor module (204) of FIG. 2) disposed to be exposed to the outside through at least a portion of the display (201).

[0105] In one embodiment, the camera module (230) may include at least one camera module, for example, at least one of the plurality of camera modules illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. In one embodiment, the camera module (230) may be disposed on a portion of the support structure (212) adjacent to the printed circuit board (240a, 240b). In one embodiment, the camera module (230) may be at least partially enclosed by the rear case (250) (e.g., the upper rear case (250a)). In one embodiment, the camera module (230) may receive at least a portion of light incident through an optical hole or a cover window (232, 233) disposed on the rear surface of the electronic device (101) (e.g., the second surface (210B) of FIG. 3) within the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the camera module (230) may be aligned with one or more of the cover window(s) (232, 233).

[0106] According to one embodiment, a circuit device (e.g., a processor), a communication module (e.g., a communication module (190) of FIG. 1), a power management module (e.g., a power management module (188)), or a memory (e.g., a memory (130) of FIG. 1), an interface (e.g., an interface (177) of FIG. 1), or various electrical / electronic components implemented in the form of an integrated circuit chip may be disposed on the printed circuit board (240a, 240b). The processor (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1) may include one or more of a central processing unit, an application processor, a graphics processing unit, an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor. The memory may include, for example, a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory. The interface may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, and / or an audio interface. The interface may, for example, electrically or physically connect the electronic device (101) to an external electronic device, and may include a USB connector, an SD card / MMC connector, or an audio connector. In some embodiments, the printed circuit board (240a, 240b) may be provided with an electromagnetic shielding environment from the rear case (250).

[0107] According to one embodiment, the battery (245) is a device for supplying power to at least one component of the electronic device (101), and may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell. At least a portion of the battery (245) may be disposed substantially on the same plane as, for example, the printed circuit boards (240a, 240b). The battery (245) may be disposed integrally within the electronic device (101), or may be disposed detachably from the electronic device (101).

[0108] In one embodiment, the rear case (250) may include an upper rear case (250a) and a lower rear case (250b). In one embodiment, the upper rear case (250a) may be arranged to surround a printed circuit board (240a, 240b) (e.g., a first circuit board (240a)) together with a portion of the support structure (212). For example, the upper rear case (250a) may be arranged to face the support structure (212) with the first circuit board (240a) interposed therebetween.

[0109] In one embodiment, the lower rear case (250b) can be utilized as a structure on which various electrical / electronic components, including interfaces (e.g., a USB connector, an SD card / MMC connector, or an audio connector), can be placed. In one embodiment, electrical / electronic components, such as interfaces (e.g., a USB connector, an SD card / MMC connector, or an audio connector), can be placed on an additional printed circuit board (not shown). In this case, the lower rear case (250b) can be placed to surround the additional printed circuit board (not shown) together with another part of the support structure (212). For example, the interfaces placed on the additional printed circuit board (not shown) or the lower rear case (250b) (not shown) can be placed corresponding to the sound hole (207) or the connector holes (208, 209) of FIG. 2.

[0110] In one embodiment, the antenna (not shown) may include a conductive pattern implemented on the surface of the rear case (250), for example, through a laser direct structuring method. In one embodiment, the antenna may include a printed circuit pattern formed on the surface of a thin film, and the thin film-type antenna may be disposed between the rear plate (290) and the battery (245). The antenna may include, for example, a near field communication (NFC) antenna, a wireless charging antenna, and / or a magnetic secure transmission (MST) antenna. The antenna may, for example, perform short-range communication with an external device or wirelessly transmit and receive power required for charging. In one embodiment, another antenna structure may be formed by a part or a combination of the support structure (212) and / or the side structure (211).

[0111] FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of FIG. 2 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of portion B of FIG. 6A according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a portion of a side cross-sectional view of a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8A is a plan view of a cover window according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C' of FIG. 8A according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a portion of a side cross-sectional view of a cover window according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0112] All or part of the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIG. 6A may be identical to or similar to the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIGS. 1 to 5. The housing (310) of FIGS. 6A and 6B may be referred to as the housing (210) of FIGS. 2 to 5. The housing (310) of FIGS. 6A and 6B may be referred to as the housing (210) of FIGS. 2 to 5.

[0113] Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B , in one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a housing (310) and a display assembly (302). According to one embodiment, the housing (310) may include a side structure (311) (e.g., side structure (211) of FIGS. 2 to 5 ) formed around a side surface of the electronic device (101) (e.g., side surface (210C) of FIG. 2 ) and a back plate (318) (e.g., back plate (218) of FIG. 3 , back plate (290) of FIGS. 4 and 9 ) formed around the display assembly (302) and a back surface of the electronic device (101) (e.g., second surface (210B) of FIG. 3 ).

[0114] Referring to FIGS. 6B, 7, 8A, 8B, and 9, according to one embodiment, the display assembly (302) may include a display panel (330) (e.g., the display (201) of FIGS. 2, 4, and 5) and a window assembly (320) (e.g., the front plate (202) of FIGS. 2, 4, and 5) disposed on one side (e.g., the front or +Z direction side) of the display panel (330) and forming the front side (e.g., the first side (210A) of FIG. 2) of the electronic device (101). For example, the display panel (330) and the window assembly (320) may be coupled or adhered to each other with an adhesive member provided therebetween. According to one embodiment, the display assembly (302) may be implemented as a foldable or rollable flexible display, and may be implemented as a material (e.g., flexible glass) that can be folded or rolled while coupled to the display panel (330).

[0115] According to one embodiment, an image (e.g., an image or a video) output or provided from the display panel (330) may be transmitted to the outside of the electronic device (101) through the display assembly (302). According to one embodiment, the display panel (330) may include an active area configured to output an image and an inactive area disposed around the active area and configured not to output an image.

[0116] According to one embodiment, the window assembly (320) may be disposed to overlap or face the active area and the inactive area of ​​the display panel (330) in the thickness direction (e.g., Z-axis direction) of the electronic device (101). Referring to FIG. 7, in one embodiment, the window assembly (320) may include a cover window (321) and a coating layer (323) disposed or laminated on a portion of the cover window (321). In one embodiment, the window assembly (320) may further include a black layer (325) (or black marking layer) disposed or laminated on a portion of the cover window (321) so as to be positioned between the cover window (321) and the display panel (330).

[0117] In one embodiment, the cover window (321) may be formed substantially transparently and may include, for example, glass, ceramic, and / or synthetic resin. Referring to FIGS. 7, 8A, 8B, and 9, in one embodiment, the cover window (321) may include a first surface (3211) exposed to the outside of the electronic device (101), a second surface (3212) facing in an opposite direction from the first surface (3211) (or opposite to the first surface (3211)), and an edge surface (3213) connecting the first surface (3211) and the second surface (3212).

[0118] Referring to FIGS. 7, 8a, 8b, and 9, according to one embodiment, the first surface (3211) of the cover window (321) may include a first-first surface (3211a) disposed at the center of the first surface (3211) and a first-second surface (3211b) disposed at the edge of the first surface (3211) and extending between the first edge region (3213a) of the first-first surface (3211a) and the edge surface (3213). For example, the first-first surface (3211a) and the first-second surface (3211b) may be distinguished by a dotted line u1 in FIG. 9. According to one embodiment, the first-first surface (3211a) of the first surface (3211) of the cover window (321) may include a plane, and the first-second surface (3211b) may include a curved surface.

[0119] According to one embodiment, the second side (3212) of the cover window (321) may include a second-first side (3212a) disposed at the center of the second side (3212) and an inclined second-second side (3212b) disposed at the edge of the second side (3212) and extending between the second-first side (3212a) and a second edge region (3213b) of the edge side (3213). For example, the second-first side (3212a) and the second-second side (3212b) may be distinguished by a dotted line u2 in FIG. 9. According to one embodiment, the second-first side (3212a) of the second side (3212) of the cover window (321) may include a plane, and the second-second side (3212b) may be formed to be inclined with respect to the second-first side (3212a).

[0120] According to one embodiment, the edge surface (3213) of the cover window (321) of the window assembly (320) may include a first edge region (3213a) extending from the first surface (3211) and a second edge region (3213b) extending from the second surface (3212). For example, the 2-1 surface (3212a) and the 2-2 surface (3212b) may be distinguished by a dotted line u2 in FIG. 9.

[0121] Referring to FIG. 8A, according to one embodiment, the cover window (321) may have a rectangular plate shape, and the corners may be formed as chamfered, tapered, or curved. However, the shape of the cover window (321) in the present disclosure is not limited, and may be formed in various polygonal plate shapes other than circular or rectangular, for example, depending on the shape of the display panel (330).

[0122] Referring to FIGS. 7, 8B, and 9, according to one embodiment, the cover window (321) may include a neutral plane (indicated by a dashed line WW) disposed between the first surface (3211) and the second surface (3212). In the present disclosure, the neutral plane may be understood as a virtual plane for describing an interface where a compressive stress-resistant portion and a tensile stress-resistant portion of the cover window (321) against an external force are divided. In the present disclosure, the neutral plane may be an imaginary plane intersecting the thickness direction (e.g., Z-axis direction) of the electronic device (101) and may be indicated by a dashed line WW in a side cross-sectional view (e.g., FIGS. 7, 8B, and 9). According to one embodiment, the cover window (321) may include a first portion (321A) disposed on the neutral face and the first face (3211) and configured to resist compressive stress, and a second portion (321B) disposed on the neutral face and the second face (3212) and configured to resist tensile stress.

[0123] In one embodiment, the coating layer (323) may be positioned to cover a portion of the edge surface (3213) that is not positioned on the second portion (321B) of the cover window (321), which is a tension-resistant region (e.g., a portion of the first edge region (3213a)). Therefore, preferably, the second edge region (3213a) of the edge surface (3213) is positioned higher than the neutral plane indicated by the dashed line WW in the cross-sectional side views (e.g., FIGS. 7, 8B, and 9), so that the durability of the cover window (321) may not be deteriorated by the coating layer (323) being positioned on the second portion (321B) of the cover window (321), which is a tension-resistant region.

[0124] According to one embodiment, a first edge region (3213a) and a part of a second edge region (3213b) of an edge surface (3213) may be disposed on a first portion (321A) of the cover window (321). The remaining part of the second edge region (3213b) of the edge surface (3213) may be disposed on a second portion (321B) of the cover window (321). According to one embodiment, the cover window (321) may be strengthened during the manufacturing process to have sufficient bending strength and impact strength against an impact due to a drop or an external force applied during use. For example, the bending strength and impact strength of the cover window (321) may be directly related to drop performance. For example, if a coating layer (323) is formed on the second surface (3212) of the cover window (321), which is a tensile-resistant region, the possibility of damage may increase when an external force is applied to the second surface (3212). According to the embodiment(s) of the present disclosure, the coating layer (323) may be formed only on the target region excluding the second surface (3212) of the cover window (321), which is a tensile-resistant region, so that the drop performance of the cover window (321) may be improved.

[0125] According to one embodiment, the coating layer (323) of the window assembly (302) can be configured to physically / chemically protect the cover window (321). For example, the coating layer (323) can be formed to provide easy-to-clean and scratch-resistant properties, and can include a hard coating layer, an anti-reflective coating layer, a low reflective coating layer, and / or an anti-glare coating layer.

[0126] According to one embodiment, the coating layer (323) of the window assembly (302) may be disposed or laminated on at least a portion of the first surface (3211) of the cover window (321) and the first edge region (3213a) of the edge surface (3213). For example, the coating layer (323) may be formed to cover the entire first surface (3211) of the cover window (321). According to one embodiment, the coating layer (323) of the window assembly (302) may not be disposed on the second edge region (3213b) of the edge surface (3213) of the cover window (321). According to one embodiment, when the cover window (321) is assembled to the electronic device (101), the boundary between the area on the cover window (321) where the coating layer (323) is not formed and the area where the coating layer (323) is formed and the area where the coating layer (323) is formed may not be visible to the outside of the electronic device (101). According to the embodiments described below with reference to FIGS. 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b and 14a to 14c, when applying a coating material to form a coating layer (323) on a cover window (321) mounted on a fixing member (10), the coating layer (323) is formed only on a target area (e.g., at least a part of the first surface (3211) and the first edge area (3213a)) on the cover window (321), and the phenomenon of the coating material flowing beyond the target area, particularly into the second edge area (3213b) and / or the second surface (3212) of the cover window (321), can be prevented.

[0127] According to one embodiment, the black layer (325) of the window assembly (302) may be disposed between the second side (3212) of the display panel (330) and the display panel (330). The black layer (325) may be disposed to face a portion of one side (e.g., the front side or the +Z direction side) of the display panel (330). According to one embodiment, the black layer (325) may be disposed to face an inactive area of ​​the second side (3212) of the cover window (321) so as not to output an image of the display panel (330). According to one embodiment, the active area of ​​the display panel (330) may be disposed in a central portion of the display panel (330), and the inactive area may be disposed in an edge area of ​​the display panel (330) around the active area. In one embodiment, the black layer (325) can conceal components disposed therein (e.g., an inactive area of ​​the display panel (330)) from being visible to the outside of the electronic device (101).

[0128] FIG. 10A is a plan view of a fixing member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10B is a side cross-sectional view of the fixing member taken along line D-D' of FIG. 10A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10C is an enlarged view of portion E of FIG. 10B according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a method of manufacturing a window assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12A is a plan view illustrating a fixing member and an adhesive member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F' of FIG. 12A illustrating the fixing member and the adhesive member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13A is a plan view illustrating a fixing member, an adhesive member, and a cover window according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II' of FIG. 13A illustrating the fixing member, the adhesive member, and the cover window according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 14A is a plan view illustrating a fixing member, an adhesive member, and a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional view taken along line J-J' of FIG. 13A illustrating the fixing member, the adhesive member, and the window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 14C is an enlarged view of portion K of FIG. 14B according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0129] Referring to FIGS. 10A to 10C , in one embodiment, a fixing member (10) (or jig) for manufacturing or fabricating a window assembly (302) (or for a cover window (321)) may be provided. In one embodiment, operations (21, 22, 23, 24) of a method (20) for manufacturing a window assembly (302) described below with reference to FIG. 11 may be performed in a state in which a cover window (321) is secured or fixed to the fixing member (10) (or jig) according to one embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 10A to 10C .

[0130] According to one embodiment, the fixing member (10) may be formed so that the cover window (321) can be seated and / or fixed. According to one embodiment, when applying a coating material to form a coating layer (323) on the cover window (321) seated on the fixing member (10), the coating layer (323) is formed only on a target area (e.g., at least a part of the first surface (3211) and the first edge area (3213a)) on the cover window (321), and the phenomenon of the coating material flowing beyond the target area, particularly into the second edge area (3213b) and / or the second surface (3212) of the cover window (321), can be prevented.

[0131] Referring to FIGS. 10a to 10c, according to one embodiment, the fixing member (10) may include a mounting portion (10a), an inclined portion (10b), a first groove (11), a second groove (12), and a through hole (13). According to one embodiment, some of the components of the fixing member (10) (e.g., the first groove (11), the second groove (12), and the through hole (13)) may be omitted.

[0132] According to one embodiment, the fixing portion (10a) of the fixing member (10) may be formed so that the cover window (321) is fixed thereon. For example, the first groove (11) may be a closed-loop shape formed along the edge of the fixing member (10). The fixing portion (10a) may be formed to correspond to the shape of the cover window (321), and may be, for example, a recess formed in the center of the fixing member (10). Referring to FIG. 10c, for example, the inclined portion (10b) may be formed such that the angle (α) with respect to the bottom surface of the fixing portion (10a) is about 20 degrees or more and about 45 degrees or less, preferably about 30 degrees. For example, the inclined portion (10b) may help the coating material to be evenly transferred to the entire surface of the cover window (321).

[0133] According to one embodiment, the first groove (11) of the fixing member (10) may be formed along at least a portion of the edge of the bottom surface (e.g., +Z direction surface) of the seating portion (10a) of the fixing member (10). For example, the first groove (11) may have a closed-loop shape. According to one embodiment, the first groove (11) may be a recess formed in the seating portion (10a) and may be formed to be recessed or extended in the rear direction (e.g., -Z direction). Referring to FIG. 10c, a first straight-line distance (l1) from the edge of the seating portion (10a) to the formed area of ​​the first groove (11) may be set so that the first groove (11) can be arranged to face the edge area of ​​the cover window (321) when the cover window (321) is arranged on the seating portion (10a).

[0134] According to one embodiment, the second groove (12) of the fixing member (10) may be spaced apart from the first groove (11). According to one embodiment, the second groove (12) may be formed along at least a portion of an edge of a bottom surface (e.g., a +Z direction surface) of the seating portion (10a) of the fixing member (10). For example, the second groove (12) may have a closed-loop shape. According to one embodiment, the second groove (12) may be a recess formed in the seating portion (10a) and may be formed to be recessed or extended in a direction different from the direction in which the first groove (11) extends (e.g., a lateral direction or a direction orthogonal to the Z axis). Referring to FIG. 10c, the second straight-line distance (l2) from the edge of the mounting portion (10a) to the formed area of ​​the second groove (12) is arranged so as not to be higher than the interface line between the first edge area (3213a) and the second edge area (3213b) of the cover window (321) when the cover window (321) is placed on the mounting portion (10a), so as to control the height (e.g., Z-axis direction height) at which the adhesive member (30) (or bonding member, adhesive) (e.g., ink bonding) is placed on the edge surface (3213) of the cover window (321). In the present disclosure, the “adhesive member (30)” may be a liquid, semi-solid, or solid material including an adhesive substance.

[0135] According to one embodiment, the through hole (13) of the fixing member (10) may be formed around the mounting portion (10a). According to one embodiment, the through hole (13) may be formed to penetrate the mounting portion (10a) in the front-back direction (e.g., Z direction). For example, the through hole (13) may include a plurality of through holes (13) spaced apart from each other. The through hole (13) may help heat within the mounting portion (10a) to be dissipated to the outside of the fixing member (10).

[0136] According to one embodiment, the first groove (11) or the second groove (12) of the fixing member (10) can prevent the adhesive member (30) disposed between the cover window (321) and the fixing member (10) from overflowing toward the front of the cover window (321), as described below with reference to FIGS. 12A, 12B, 13A, and 13B. By using the first groove (11) or the second groove (12) of the fixing member (10), the adhesive member (30) does not overflow to the target area where the coating layer (323) is to be formed on the cover window (321), so that the coating material can be applied to the target area of ​​the cover window (321).

[0137] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 10 to 14c, a method for manufacturing a window assembly (302) according to the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6a, 7, 8a, 8b and .

[0138] Referring to FIG. 10, in one embodiment, a method (20) for manufacturing a window assembly (302) may include an operation (21) of preparing (or manufacturing, forming) a cover window (321), an operation (22) of introducing an adhesive member (30) (or a bonding member, an adhesive) (e.g., ink bonding) to the cover window (321), an operation (23) of curing the adhesive member (30) to bond (or adhere) it to the cover window (321), an operation (24) of forming a coating layer (323) in a portion (or target area) of the cover window (321), and an operation (25) of removing the cured adhesive member (30).

[0139] According to one embodiment, the operation (21) of preparing the cover window (321) may include an operation of forming a basic shape of the cover window (321) (e.g., cutting a material (e.g., CNC machining)), an operation of polishing a surface of the cover window (321), and an operation of strengthening the cover window (321). According to one embodiment, the operation (21) may include a pad printing operation on the strengthened cover window (321).

[0140] For example, in the operation (21) of preparing the cover window (321), according to the operation of forming the basic shape of the cover window (321) (e.g., cutting the material (e.g., CNC machining)), a first-second surface (3211b) formed as a chamfered surface (or inclined surface) or a curved surface may be formed on the first surface (3211) of the cover window (321). For example, a second-second surface (3212b) formed as a chamfered surface (or inclined surface) or a curved surface may be formed on the second surface (3212) of the cover window (321). For example, in the operation (21) of preparing the cover window (321), the operation of polishing the surface of the cut material may include an edge-polishing (E-PLS) operation of the cut material, and an operation of polishing both the first side (3211) and the second side (3212) of the cover window (321) after the edge-polishing operation to make the cover window (321) highly glossy and remove surface defects. The edge-polishing (E-PLS) operation can form the surface smoothly by removing unevenness or flaws such as scratches, depressions, tool marks, and micro-cracks on the edge side (3213) and the first-second side (3211b) and the second-second side (3212b) formed as chamfered surfaces (or inclined surfaces) or curved surfaces. For example, in the operation (21) of preparing the cover window (321), by the operation of strengthening the cover window (321), the resistance to external impact can be strengthened, and the cover window (321) can be strengthened to have sufficient bending strength and impact strength against an impact due to dropping or an external force applied during use.For example, in the operation (21) of preparing the cover window (321), the pad printing operation may include an operation of defining an active area by placing a printing layer in an area facing (or corresponding to) the active area of ​​the display panel (330) on the second side of the cover window (321), and placing or forming a black layer (325) in an area facing (or corresponding to) the inactive area of ​​the display panel (330) on the second side of the cover window (321).

[0141] In FIGS. 12a, 12b, 13a, 14a, and 14c, the black layer (325) coupled to the cover window (321) is omitted from the illustration, but in FIGS. 12a, 12b, 13a, 14a, 14b, and 14c and the description given below, the cover window (321) may be coupled with the black layer (325).

[0142] FIGS. 12A and 12B may illustrate, according to one embodiment, an operation (22) of introducing an adhesive member (e.g., the adhesive member (30) of FIGS. 12A and 12B) into a cover window (321) of a method (20) for manufacturing a window assembly (302). According to one embodiment, the operation (22) may mean that the adhesive member (30) is introduced into the cover window (321) by placing the cover window (321) on the fixing member (10) with the adhesive member (30) interposed therebetween. According to one embodiment, the adhesive member (30) may be applied to at least a portion of the first groove (11) and the mounting portion (10a) of the fixing member (10). According to one embodiment, the first groove (11) of the fixing member (10) can guide the position of the adhesive member (30) on the fixing member (10) and increase at least a portion of the thickness of the adhesive member (30) to strengthen the adhesive force or bonding force between the cover window (321) and the fixing member (10).

[0143] According to one embodiment, preferably, the first groove (11) of the fixing member (10) may be positioned at a position within an area corresponding to the black layer (325) of the cover window (321) when the cover window (321) is placed on the fixing member (10). With this position of the first groove (11) of the fixing member (10), the adhesive member (30) may not be introduced into an area of ​​the cover window (321) corresponding to the active area of ​​the display panel (330), and the effort to remove the adhesive member (30) placed in the area of ​​the cover window (321) corresponding to the active area of ​​the display panel (330) in the operation (24) may be reduced.

[0144] FIGS. 13A and 13B may illustrate, according to one embodiment, an operation (23) of curing an adhesive member (30) of a method (20) for manufacturing a window assembly (302) to bond (or adhere) the cover window (321) to the fixing member (10). For example, the operation (23) may be performed by pressing the cover window (321) onto the fixing member (10) together with the adhesive member (30) to adhere the cover window to the fixing member (10), and then curing the adhesive member (30). For example, the adhesive member (30) may be cured by applying ultraviolet rays, microwaves, infrared rays, thermal heating, or a combination thereof. For example, the degree to which the adhesive member (30) is cured may be set such that the adhesive member (30) has an adhesive strength that allows the cover window (321) to be detachably adhered to the fixing member (10).

[0145] FIG. 14a, FIG. 14c, and FIG. 14c may illustrate, according to one embodiment, an operation (24) of forming a coating layer (323) on a portion (or target portion) of a cover window (321) of a method (20) for manufacturing a window assembly (302). According to one embodiment, since the adhesive member (30) covers the second edge portion (3213b) of the edge surface (3213) of the cover window (321), the coating layer (323) may be formed on at least a portion of the first surface (3211) of the cover window (321) and the first edge portion (3213a) adjacent to the first surface (3211). In an embodiment, preferably, the adhesive member (30) covers a second edge region (3213b) of the edge surface (3213) of the cover window (321) and a portion of the first edge region (3213a) adjacent to the second edge region (3213b), so that the coating layer (323) can be formed on the first surface (3211) of the cover window (321) and the remaining portion of the first edge region (3213a) adjacent to the first surface (3211). In other words, the coating layer (323) can include a portion covering the first surface (3211) of the cover window (321) and a portion extending from the portion to cover a portion of the first edge region (3213a) adjacent to the first surface (3211).

[0146] According to one embodiment, when the cover window (321) is assembled to the electronic device (101), a boundary between an area on the cover window (321) where the coating layer (323) is not formed and an area where the coating layer (323) is formed and an area where the coating layer (323) is formed may not be visible to the outside of the electronic device (101). For example, the coating layer (323) may be formed to provide easy-to-clean and scratch-resistant properties, and may include a hard coating layer, an anti-reflective coating layer, a low reflective coating layer, and / or an anti-glare coating layer. For example, the coating layer (323) may be formed on the surface of the cover window (321) through various vacuum deposition methods such as sputtering, physical vapor deposition (PVD), and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Referring to FIG. 14c, according to one embodiment, the position of the second groove (12) of the fixing member (10) can be set to adjust the height at which the adhesive member (30) is applied. For example, the second groove (12) of the fixing member (10) can face the second edge region (3213b) and can face a portion of the first edge region (3213a) adjacent to the second edge region (3213b).

[0147] In the operation (25) of removing the cured adhesive member (30) of the manufacturing method (20) of the window assembly (302), the adhesive member (30) may be formed to be water-soluble, in which case the operation (25) may remove the adhesive member (30) by immersing the cover window (321) in water. For example, in the operation (25), a portion of the coating layer (323) formed on the adhesive member (30) may be removed or peeled off together. After the operation (25), the coating layer (323) may exist in a target area that does not overlap with the area where the adhesive member (30) was disposed in the cover window (321). The black layer (325) may be maintained on the cover window (321) without being affected by the operation (25).

[0148] FIG. 15A is an enlarged view of a portion H of FIG. 6B illustrating a housing, a window assembly, and a display panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 15B is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 15A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of a portion H of FIG. 6B illustrating a housing and a window assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of a portion H of FIG. 6B illustrating a housing and a window assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0149] All or part of the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIGS. 15A to 17 may be identical to or similar to the configuration of the electronic device (101) of FIGS. 1 to 6A. The housing (310) and window assembly (302) according to the embodiments of FIGS. 15A to 17 may be referred to as the housing (310) and window assembly (302) according to the embodiments of FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7, 8A, 8B, 9, 10A to 10C, 11, 12A, 12B, 13A, 13B, and 14A, 14C, 14C.

[0150] Referring to FIGS. 15A to 17, “point D” of the housing (310) may refer to a point protruding closest to the edge surface (3213) among the side walls of the housing (310) that faces the edge surface (3213) of the cover window (321). “point A” of the cover window (321) may refer to a point of the edge surface (3213) located at the neutral plane. “point T” and “point C” of the cover window (321) may refer to upper and lower end points of the edge surface (3213) of the cover window (321). For example, the above-described “point D,” “point A,” “point T,” and “point C” may be arranged on the same plane (e.g., XZ plane).

[0151] Referring to FIGS. 15b to 17, in one embodiment, the cover window (321) may be positioned to have a gap “g2” with the side wall of the housing (310). Here, the gap “g2” may be the minimum distance (C-C’) (horizontal distance or X-axis distance) between the cover window (321) and the housing (310).

[0152] Referring to FIGS. 15A and 15B, in one embodiment, point A may be positioned higher than point D. Referring to FIG. 16, in one embodiment, point A may be positioned higher than point D. As in the embodiments of FIGS. 15A to 15, when point D is lower than the neutral plane (indicated by the dashed line ww in the drawings), the second edge region (3213b) of the cover window (321) may preferably be positioned on a portion of the edge surface (3213) that is higher than the neutral plane and lower than the first surface (3211).

[0153] Referring to FIGS. 15A and 15B, the height (height in the Z-axis direction) between points C and D may be represented as h1. Referring to FIG. 16, the height (height in the Z-axis direction) between points C and D may be represented as h2, and h1 may be greater than h2. Referring to FIG. 16, the height (height in the Z-axis direction) between points A and D may be represented as h3.

[0154] Referring to FIG. 17, in one embodiment, point A may be positioned lower than point D. Referring to FIG. 17, the height (Z-axis height) between points A and D may be represented as h4. The h4 may be equal to the height (Z-axis height) (A- A') between points A and A', and the heights (Z-axis heights) of points A' and D may be equal. The spacing "g2" may be equal to the minimum distance (A'-D) between points A and D. Referring to FIG. 17, the coating layer (232) may be coated to avoid point A'. For example, the coating layer (232) may be disposed on the first surface (3211) of the cover window (321), and may be disposed in an area adjacent to the first surface (3211) among the edge surfaces (3213) but lower than the first surface (3211) and higher than point A'.

[0155] FIG. 18A is a side view of a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 18B is an enlarged view of portion M of FIG. 18A illustrating the window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 18C is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a fixing member, an adhesive member, and a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0156] All or part of the configuration of the cover window (321) of FIGS. 18a to 18c may be the same as or similar to the configuration of the cover window (321) according to the embodiments of FIGS. 6a, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10a to 10c, 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a, 14c, 14c, 15a, 15b, 16, and 17. All or part of the configuration of the fixing member (10) of FIG. 18c may be the same as or similar to the configuration of the fixing member (10) according to the embodiments of FIGS. 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a to 14c. The coating layer (323) and the black layer (325) of FIGS. 18a to 18c may be referred to as the coating layer (323) and the black layer (325) according to the embodiments of FIGS. 6a, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10a to 10c, 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a, 14c, 14c, 15a, 15b, 16, and 17.

[0157] The embodiment of FIGS. 18a to 18c may differ from the embodiment described above with reference to FIGS. 6, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10a to 10c, 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a, 14c, 14c, 15a, 15b, 16 and 17 in the shape of the first-first surface (3211a) of the first surface (3211) of the window (321). More specifically, the first-first surface (3211a) of the first surface (3211) of the window (321) of the embodiments of FIGS. 6a, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10a to 10c, 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a to 14c may have a curved shape, and the first-first surface (3211a) of the first surface (3211) of the window (321) of the embodiments of FIGS. 18a to 18c may be formed as a sloped surface (or chamfered surface). In the embodiments of FIGS. 18a to 18c, the contents of the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 6a, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10a to 10c, 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a, 14c, 14c, 15a, 15b, 16 and 17, except for the shape of the first-first surface (3211a) of the first surface (3211) of the window (321), may be commonly applied and may not be described repeatedly here.

[0158] FIG. 19A is a side cross-sectional view of a housing, a window assembly, and a display panel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 19B is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a fixing member, an adhesive member, and a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0159] All or part of the configuration of the cover window (321) and the housing (310) of FIGS. 19a and 19b may be identical to or similar to the configuration of the cover window (321) according to the embodiments of FIGS. 6a, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10a to 10c, 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a, 14c, 14c, 15a, 15b, 16, and 17. The coating layer (323) or black layer (325) of FIGS. 19a and 19b may be referred to as the coating layer (323) and black layer (325) according to the embodiments of FIGS. 6a, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10a to 10c, 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a, 14c, 14c, 15a, 15b, 16, and 17. All or part of the configuration of the fixing member (10) of FIG. 19b may be the same as or similar to the configuration of the fixing member (10) according to the embodiments of FIGS. 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a to 14c.

[0160] The embodiment of FIGS. 19a and 19b may differ from the embodiment described above with reference to FIGS. 6a, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10a to 10c, 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a, 14c, 14c, 15a, 15b, 16, and 17 in that the shape of the window (321) may be formed in a three-dimensional (3D) shape. More specifically, the window (321) of FIGS. 19a and 19b may be formed in a three-dimensional (3D) shape. According to one embodiment, the surface on which the coating layer (323) is formed in the window (321) of FIGS. 19a and 19b may be formed in a curved shape. In the embodiments of FIGS. 19a and 19b, the contents of the embodiments described above with reference to FIGS. 6a, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10a to 10c, 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a, 14c, 14c, 15a, 15b, 16 and 17, except for the shape of the window (321), may be commonly applied and may not be described repeatedly here.

[0161] FIG. 20 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a fixing member, an adhesive member, and a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0162] All or part of the configuration of the cover window (321) and the housing (310) of FIG. 20 may be identical to or similar to the configuration of the cover window (321) according to the embodiments of FIGS. 6a, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10a to 10c, 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a, 14c, 14c, 15a, 15b, 16, 17, 18a, 18b, and 18c. The coating layer (323) or black layer (325) of FIG. 20 may be referred to as the coating layer (323) and black layer (325) according to the embodiments of FIGS. 6a, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10a to 10c, 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a, 14b, 14c, 15a, 15b, 16, 17, 18a, 18b, and 18c. All or part of the configuration of the fixing member (10) of FIG. 20 may be identical to or similar to the configuration of the fixing member (10) according to the embodiments of FIGS. 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a, 14b, and 14c.

[0163] Referring to FIG. 20, in one embodiment, the fixing member (10) may include a plurality of third grooves (15) that are recessed into a bottom surface (e.g., a +Z direction surface). The third grooves (15) may enhance the bonding force (or adhesive force) of the fixing member (10) with the adhesive member (30). The third grooves (15) may be spaced apart from each other. However, the arrangement, shape, and number of the third grooves (15) are not limited, and the drawing and the above description are merely examples. In the embodiment of Fig. 20, the contents of the above-described embodiment with reference to Figs. 6a, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10a to 10c, 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, 14a, 14b, 14c, 15a, 15b, 16 and 17, excluding the third grooves (15) of the fixing member (10), may be commonly applied and may not be described repeatedly here.

[0164] FIG. 21 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a fixing member, an adhesive member, and a window assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0165] The cover window (321), the coating layer (323), and the black layer (325) of FIG. 21 may be referred to as the cover window (321), the coating layer (323), and the black layer (325) according to the embodiments of FIGS. 6a, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10a to 10c, 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a, 14c, 14c, 15a, 15b, 16, 17, 18a, 18b, and 18c.

[0166] Referring to FIG. 21, when forming the coating layer (323) of the cover window (321), the pad member (40) can be used to form the coating layer (323) only on the target area (e.g., the first surface (3211), a part of the first edge area (3213a)). The pad member (40) has adhesive properties and can be attached to the surface of the cover window (321) on which the coating layer (323) is not to be formed (e.g., the second surface (3212), the second edge area (3213b), preferably the remaining part of the first edge area (3213a)), and can prevent the coating material from being applied to the attached surface. According to the embodiment of FIG. 21, the use of the adhesive member (30) described above with reference to FIGS. 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a to 14c may be omitted. In the embodiment of Fig. 20, the contents of the embodiments described above with reference to Figs. 6a, 6b, 7, 8a, 8b, 9, 10a to 10c, 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, and 14a, 14c, 14c, 15a, 15b, 16 and 17, excluding the pad member (40), may be commonly applied and may not be described repeatedly here.

[0167] An electronic device may include a display and a cover window to protect the display from external physical / chemical impact. The cover window may be laminated on the front surface of the display and exposed to the exterior of the electronic device. A coating layer(s) may be provided on the front surface of the cover window to provide functional properties such as transparency, scratch resistance, and wear resistance. For example, to form a coating layer on the cover window, a method may be used in which a coating material is sprayed on the front surface of the cover window while the cover window is fixed on a jig. In this case, the coating material may overflow from the front surface of the cover window and flow into the rear surface, which may affect the appearance of the cover window and the electronic device. For example, if the coating layer is applied unevenly to the edge area of ​​the cover window, the surface of the coating layer may become uneven, and light may be reflected in the gap between the cover window and the housing. If the coating layer (e.g., a hard coating layer) has high hardness, the coating material that flows into the rear surface of the cover window may be more likely to break after curing than the coating material applied to the front surface. For example, a coating material introduced into the rear surface of a cover window may break when an external force is applied while the cover window is assembled, thereby coming into contact with other components of the electronic device (e.g., housing, display panel), which may reduce the reliability of the product.

[0168] Aspects of the present disclosure are intended to solve at least the problems and / or disadvantages described above, and to provide at least the advantages described below. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a fixing member for a cover window, a method for manufacturing a window assembly using the same, an electronic device including the manufacturing method, and a window assembly implemented by the manufacturing method may be provided. The fixing member used in the manufacturing method may be formed so that the cover window can be fixed, and when a coating layer is formed on the cover window, the fixing member may be formed so that the coating material is applied only to a target area of ​​the cover window (e.g., a portion of the front and edge surfaces) and does not flow into the rear surface of the cover window. However, the problem to be solved in the present disclosure is not limited to the problem mentioned above, and may be determined in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0169] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a fixing member for a cover window and a method for manufacturing a window assembly using the same are formed only in a target area of ​​the cover window and a coating layer is not formed on the rear surface, so that the quality of the window assembly can be improved, and the phenomenon of damage to the window assembly due to the high-hardness coating layer when the window assembly is assembled to an electronic device can be reduced. However, the effects obtainable from the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and various effects directly or indirectly recognized through the present disclosure can be provided.

[0170] The fixing member for the cover window of the present disclosure described above, the method for manufacturing a window assembly using the same, the manufacturing method, and the electronic device including the window assembly implemented by the manufacturing method are not limited to the above-described embodiments and drawings, and it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains that various substitutions, modifications, and changes are possible within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0171] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device (101) may be provided. The electronic device may include a housing (210, 310), a display panel (330) disposed within the housing, and a window assembly (302) disposed on one side of the display panel, wherein an image output from the display panel is provided to the outside of the electronic device through the window assembly, and the window assembly may include a cover window (321) including a first side (3211) exposed to the outside of the electronic device, a second side (3212) opposite the first side, and an edge side (3213) connecting the first side and the second side, and a coating layer (323) disposed on a portion of the cover window. The edge side of the cover window of the window assembly may include a first edge region (3213a) extending from the first side and a second edge region (3213b) extending from the second side. The coating layer of the window assembly may be disposed on the first edge area of ​​the first surface and the edge surface of the cover window.

[0172] According to one embodiment, the cover window may include a neutral surface disposed between the first surface and the second surface, a first portion (321A) disposed between the neutral surface and the first surface and configured to resist compressive stress, and a second portion (321B) disposed between the neutral surface and the second surface and configured to resist tensile stress.

[0173] According to one embodiment, the first portion of the cover window may be provided with a portion of the first edge region and the second edge region of the edge surface, and the remaining portion of the second edge region of the edge surface may be provided with the second portion of the cover window.

[0174] According to one embodiment, the coating layer of the window assembly may not be disposed in the second edge region of the edge surface of the cover window.

[0175] According to one embodiment, the coating layer may be spaced apart from the second edge region by a predetermined distance (see FIGS. 15a to 17, 18b, and 19a).

[0176] According to one embodiment, the first surface of the cover window may include a first-first surface (3211a) disposed at a central portion of the first surface and a first-second surface (3211b) disposed at an edge of the first surface and extending between the first edge region of the first-first surface and the edge surface.

[0177] According to one embodiment, the first-first surface of the first surface of the cover window may include a plane. The first-second surface may include a curved surface.

[0178] According to one embodiment, the second side of the cover window may include a second-first side (3212a) disposed at a central portion of the second side and a second-second side (3212b) disposed at an edge of the second side and extending between the second-first side and the second edge region of the edge side.

[0179] According to one embodiment, the second-1 surface of the second surface of the cover window may comprise a plane. The second-2 surface may be inclined with respect to the second-1 surface.

[0180] According to one embodiment, the window assembly may further include a black layer (325) disposed on a portion of the second surface.

[0181] According to one embodiment, the display panel may include an active area configured to output an image and an inactive area disposed around the active area and in which no image is output. The black layer may be disposed to face the inactive area of ​​the display panel.

[0182] According to one embodiment, the display panel and window assembly may be formed to be foldable or rollable.

[0183] In one embodiment, the cover window may comprise glass, ceramic, synthetic resin, or a combination thereof.

[0184] In one embodiment, the coating layer may include at least one of a hard coating layer, an anti-reflective coating layer, a low reflective coating layer, or an anti-glare coating layer.

[0185] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method (20) for manufacturing a window assembly (302) of an electronic device (101) may be provided. The method may include an operation (21) of preparing a cover window (321), an operation (22) of introducing an adhesive member (30) into the cover window, an operation (23) of curing the adhesive member and bonding it to the cover window, an operation (24) of forming a coating layer (323) in a portion of the cover window, and an operation (25) of removing the cured adhesive member (30).

[0186] According to one embodiment, the operation of preparing the cover window may include an operation of forming a basic shape of the cover window, an operation of polishing a surface of the cover window, and an operation of strengthening the cover window (321).

[0187] According to one embodiment, the operation of preparing the cover window may further include a pad printing operation on the reinforced cover window.

[0188] According to one embodiment, the operation of introducing an adhesive member into the cover window may include an operation of preparing a fixing member (10) formed to allow the cover window to be fixed, an operation of placing an adhesive member (30) on the fixing member or the cover window, and an operation of placing the cover window on the fixing member with the adhesive member interposed therebetween.

[0189] In one embodiment, the act of curing the adhesive member and bonding it to the cover window may include an act of curing the adhesive member by applying ultraviolet light, microwaves, infrared light, thermal heating, or a combination thereof.

[0190] In one embodiment, the adhesive member is formed to be water-soluble, and the operation of removing the cured adhesive member may include an operation of removing the adhesive member by immersing the cover window in a solution.

[0191] While this disclosure has been described by way of example and embodiment(s), it should be understood that the embodiments are intended to be illustrative rather than limiting. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the overall scope of this disclosure, including the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0192] An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may take various forms. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. The electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0193] It should be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure and the terminology used herein are not intended to limit the technical features described in the present disclosure to a particular embodiment, but rather to encompass various modifications, equivalents, or alternatives of the embodiments. In the present disclosure, phrases such as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C” can each include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase among the phrases, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as “first,” “second,” or “first” or “second” may be used simply to distinguish the corresponding component from other corresponding components, and do not limit the corresponding components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0194] The term "module" used in one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be an integral component, or a minimum unit or part of such a component that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0195] An embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (140)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (136) or an external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)) may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

[0196] According to one embodiment, the method according to one embodiment disclosed in the present disclosure may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) via an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0197] According to one embodiment, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to one embodiment, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. According to one embodiment, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0198] It will be appreciated that the various embodiments of the present disclosure, as defined by the claims and description herein, may be implemented in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0199] Such software may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores one or more computer programs (software modules), and the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of the electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the methods of the present disclosure.

[0200] Such software may be stored in a volatile or non-volatile storage form, for example, a storage device such as a read-only memory (ROM), whether erasable or rewritable, or a memory form such as a random access memory (RAM), a memory chip, device or integrated circuit, or an optically or magnetically readable medium such as a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a magnetic disk or magnetic tape or the like. It will be appreciated that the storage device and the storage medium are various embodiments of a computer program or non-transitory machine-readable storage suitable for storing a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed, implement various embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, various embodiments provide a program comprising code for implementing an apparatus or method as claimed in one of the claims of the present specification, and a non-transitory machine-readable storage storing such a program.

[0201] While the present disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. In an electronic device (101), Housing (210; 310); A display panel (330) placed within the housing; A window assembly (320) disposed on one side of the display panel, wherein an image output from the display panel is provided to the outside of the electronic device through the window assembly, The above window assembly, A cover window (321) including a first surface (3211) exposed to the outside of the electronic device, a second surface (3212) opposite the first surface, and an edge surface (3213) connecting the first surface and the second surface; Including a coating layer (323) placed on a part of the above cover window, The edge surface of the cover window of the window assembly includes a first edge region (3213a) extending from the first surface and a second edge region (3213b) extending from the second surface, An electronic device, wherein the coating layer of the window assembly is disposed on the first edge area of the first surface and the edge surface of the cover window.

2. In paragraph 1, An electronic device, wherein the cover window comprises a neutral surface disposed between the first surface and the second surface, a first portion (321A) disposed between the neutral surface and the first surface and configured to resist compressive stress, and a second portion (321B) disposed between the neutral surface and the second surface and configured to resist tensile stress.

3. In paragraph 2, An electronic device, wherein a portion of the first edge region and the second edge region of the edge surface are disposed in the first portion of the cover window, and a remaining portion of the second edge region of the edge surface is disposed in the second portion of the cover window.

4. In paragraph 2 or 3, An electronic device wherein the coating layer of the window assembly is not disposed on the second edge area of the edge surface of the cover window.

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, An electronic device wherein the coating layer is spaced apart from the second edge region by a predetermined distance.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, An electronic device, wherein the first surface of the cover window includes a first-first surface (3211a) disposed at a central portion of the first surface and a first-second surface (3211b) disposed at an edge of the first surface and extending between the first edge region of the first-first surface and the edge surface.

7. In paragraph 6, An electronic device, wherein the first-first surface of the first surface of the cover window comprises a flat surface, and the first-second surface comprises a curved surface.

8. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 7, An electronic device, wherein the second surface of the cover window includes a second-first surface (3212a) disposed at a central portion of the second surface and a second-second surface (3212b) disposed at an edge of the second surface and extending between the second-first surface and the second edge region of the edge surface.

9. In paragraph 8, An electronic device, wherein the second-1 surface of the second surface of the cover window comprises a plane, and the second-2 surface is inclined with respect to the second-1 surface.

10. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 9, An electronic device, wherein the window assembly further includes a black layer (325) disposed on a portion of the second surface.

11. In clause 10, The above display panel includes an active area configured to output an image and an inactive area arranged around the active area and in which an image is not output, An electronic device, wherein the black layer is positioned facing the inactive area of the display panel.

12. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 11, An electronic device wherein the display panel and window assembly are formed to be foldable or rollable.

13. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 12, An electronic device wherein the cover window comprises glass, ceramic, synthetic resin or a combination thereof.

14. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 13, An electronic device, wherein the coating layer comprises at least one of a hard coating layer, an anti reflective coating layer, a low reflective coating layer, or an anti-glare coating layer.

15. In a method (20) for manufacturing a window assembly (302) of an electronic device (101), Action (21) of preparing a cover window (321); An operation (22) of introducing an adhesive material (30) into the above cover window; An operation (23) of hardening the above adhesive material and bonding it to the cover window; An operation (24) of forming a coating layer (323) in a part of the above cover window; and A manufacturing method including an operation (25) of removing a hardened adhesive material (30).

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