Housing, manufacturing method for housing, and electronic device

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a housing, a method for manufacturing a housing, and an electronic device. A circuit board assembly comprises a metal structural member and an exterior decorative layer. The metal structural member is a metal die-cast member, and the metal structural member comprises a support portion and an enclosure portion, wherein the enclosure portion surrounds the circumferential edge of the support portion, and the enclosure portion and the support portion together form a cavity; the cavity is used for accommodating an electronic module of an electronic device, and the cavity wall of the cavity has a plurality of protrusion structures; and a metal dense layer is provided on the side in the enclosure portion facing away from the support portion. The exterior decorative layer is arranged on the surface of the metal dense layer facing away from the support portion, and the surface of the exterior decorative layer facing away from the enclosure portion forms an exterior surface of the housing. The housing of the present application has the advantage of lower costs and also can avoid appearance defects such as pits in the exterior decorative layer caused by sand holes, so that the exterior surface of the housing can be highly refined and have a premium texture.

Description

Housing, housing manufacturing method and electronic equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510491341.1, filed on April 17, 2025, entitled “Housing, Method of Manufacturing Housing and Electronic Device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of electronic technology, and in particular to a housing, a method for manufacturing the housing, and an electronic device. Background Technology

[0003] Electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and smart wearable devices typically have a casing, which includes a metal structural component with a cavity inside to house some of the electronic modules within the device. Furthermore, the circumferential outer wall of the metal structural component serves as the external surface of the electronic device.

[0004] Metal structural components typically have numerous protruding structures on the cavity walls. The raw materials for these components are usually aluminum or magnesium alloy profiles. Currently, the machining process for metal structural components typically involves first using Computer Numerical Control (NC) to rough-mill the raw material, outlining the external shape and internal features such as protruding structures. Then, the raw material undergoes precision milling and other treatments to obtain the final metal structural component.

[0005] However, this processing technology for metal structural components results in a longer processing time, leading to higher processing costs. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a housing, a method for manufacturing the housing, and an electronic device. The housing provided by this application has a lower cost advantage and can avoid appearance defects such as pits on the decorative layer caused by sand holes, so that the housing can have a high degree of refinement and high-end texture on the appearance surface, and the electronic device can meet different design requirements and market preferences.

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a housing, the housing comprising:

[0008] The metal structural component is a die-cast metal part. The metal structural component includes a support part and a enclosure part. The enclosure part surrounds the circumferential edge of the support part, and the enclosure part and the support part together form a cavity. The cavity is used to house the electronic module of the electronic device. The cavity wall has several protruding structures. The enclosure part has a dense metal layer on the side opposite to the support part.

[0009] The exterior decorative layer is located on the side of the dense metal layer facing away from the support part, and the side of the exterior decorative layer facing away from the enclosure part forms the exterior surface of the shell.

[0010] This application embodiment uses die-cast metal structural components, allowing the components to be formed through a die-casting process. After die-casting, a metal structural component with a cavity and several protrusions within the cavity is obtained. Compared to the aforementioned CNC process, the metal structural component in this application embodiment does not require CNC machining to create its shape, saving machining time and significantly reducing raw material waste, resulting in a lower cost advantage for the metal structural component and housing. Furthermore, the dense metal layer improves and optimizes the surface structure of the metal layer on the side of the enclosure facing away from the support, refining, reducing, or even eliminating sand holes on this side. This increases the density of the dense metal layer, thereby enhancing the strength and appearance of the enclosure within it. This prevents appearance defects such as pits from appearing on the decorative layer when it is applied to the dense metal layer due to sand holes. This ensures the housing has a high level of refinement and a premium feel, enabling the electronic device to meet diverse design requirements and market preferences.

[0011] In some embodiments, the side of the enclosure portion away from the support portion is the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure portion, and the enclosure portion is configured to form a dense metal layer when the circumferential outer wall is pressed into contact with a friction member that rotates and moves relative to the enclosure portion.

[0012] Through the extrusive contact between the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure and the friction element, friction can be generated between the high-speed rotation of the friction element and the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure. Furthermore, by controlling key parameters such as the rotational speed, moving speed, and extrusion amount of the friction element against the enclosure, the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure can be rapidly heated and subjected to extrusive force during friction with the friction element, causing the crystal structure of the enclosure on one side of the circumferential outer wall to rearrange and optimize. This improves and optimizes the metal surface structure of the enclosure on the circumferential outer wall side, refines, reduces, or even eliminates sand holes on the side of the enclosure away from the support, increases the density of the enclosure on the circumferential outer wall side, and makes the dense metal layer obtained on the circumferential outer wall side of the enclosure even denser and with a uniform metal structure.

[0013] In some embodiments, the enclosure portion has a porous layer on the side facing the support portion, wherein the pore diameter of the porous layer is less than or equal to 0.15 mm, and the pore diameter of the porous layer is greater than 0.15 mm. This configuration can improve the density of the enclosure portion on the circumferential outer wall side, making the dense metal layer obtained on the circumferential outer wall side of the enclosure portion more compact and having a uniform metal structure.

[0014] In some embodiments, the porosity of the dense metal layer is lower than that of the sand layer, so that the dense metal layer also has a lower porosity, which enables the enclosure to obtain a denser and more uniform metal structure in the dense metal layer, enhances the density of the dense metal layer, and further improves the strength and appearance of the enclosure in the dense metal layer, ensuring the exquisiteness and high-end texture of the shell in appearance.

[0015] In some embodiments, the metal structural component is configured to be formed after a die-cast blank is pressed into contact with a friction component. The die-cast blank is configured to be formed by die casting of a metal raw material through a die-casting mold. The metal raw material is a magnesium alloy or an aluminum alloy.

[0016] By extruding and contacting the die-cast blank with the friction component, a dense metal layer can be formed. This allows the housing to have a lower cost advantage while ensuring that the housing has a high degree of refinement and a high-end texture on the surface, enabling electronic devices to meet different design requirements and market preferences.

[0017] In some embodiments, the circumferential sidewall of the protrusion structure is provided with a demolding angle, which is greater than or equal to 0.5° and less than or equal to 10°.

[0018] By setting the demolding angle, the circumferential sidewall of the protrusion structure can be made to form an inclined surface, so that the size of the protrusion structure at the top is smaller than that at the root, and forms a shape that is larger on the outside and smaller on the inside. This facilitates the smooth separation of the die-cast blank from the die-casting mold, so as to quickly obtain the die-cast blank.

[0019] In some embodiments, the exterior decorative layer includes at least one of anodized film, electrophoretic coating, and spray coating, which can increase the corrosion resistance and wear resistance of the housing surface. At the same time, it can also allow the housing surface to present a variety of different colors and gloss levels according to design requirements, so that the housing surface has better visual appeal and smoothness, so that the housing surface has a high degree of refinement and high-end texture, and the electronic device can meet different design requirements and market preferences.

[0020] In some embodiments, the thickness of the dense metal layer is greater than or equal to 0.3 mm and less than or equal to 0.8 mm. This configuration allows the original thickness of the dense metal layer (thickness before partial structural removal) to be controlled within a suitable range during the shell manufacturing process. This ensures the increased density of the enclosure on the side away from the support, meeting design requirements for both strength and appearance on that side. Simultaneously, it prevents deformation of internal features such as protruding structures in the metal structural components, saving manufacturing time for the metal structural components and reducing the shell's manufacturing cost.

[0021] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a method for manufacturing a housing, characterized in that the method for manufacturing a housing as described in any of the above claims includes:

[0022] Obtain the metal raw materials for manufacturing the shell;

[0023] Metal raw materials are die-cast to obtain die-cast blanks. The die-cast blanks include a support part and a surrounding part. The surrounding part surrounds the circumferential edge of the support part, and the surrounding part and the support part together form a cavity. The cavity is used to house the electronic module of the electronic device, and the cavity wall has several protruding structures.

[0024] The friction element contacts the side of the enclosure that is away from the support part, and the friction element is controlled to rotate and move relative to the enclosure part to squeeze the enclosure part, so that a dense metal layer is formed inside the enclosure part on the side away from the support part, thereby obtaining a metal structural component.

[0025] The metal structural components are post-processed to obtain a shell. The post-processing includes surface treatment of the dense metal layer to form an appearance decorative layer on the surface of the dense metal layer.

[0026] The housing manufacturing method provided in this application embodiment obtains a metal structural component from a die-cast blank, giving the metal structural component the shape of a housing. Compared to CNC machining, since the die-cast blank provided in this application embodiment is obtained by die-casting metal raw materials, it can save processing time for the metal structural component and greatly reduce the waste of raw materials, giving the metal structural component and housing of this application a lower cost advantage. Furthermore, by setting a dense metal layer, the density of the enclosure part on the side away from the support part can be improved, avoiding appearance defects in the appearance decorative layer caused by sand holes when it is set on the dense metal layer. This ensures that the housing has a high degree of refinement and a high-end texture on the appearance surface, enabling electronic devices to meet different design requirements and market preferences.

[0027] In some embodiments, controlling the friction element to rotate and move relative to the enclosure includes:

[0028] While controlling the rotation of the friction component, it is also controlled that the friction component can move relative to the enclosure part at least along the length, width and thickness directions of the die-cast blank.

[0029] In this way, during the rotation of the friction component, the friction component moves relative to the enclosure part along the length, width, and thickness directions of the die-cast blank, allowing the friction component to press against the entire circumferential outer wall of the enclosure part during rotation. This enables the entire circumferential outer wall of the enclosure part to form a dense metal layer and achieve good density.

[0030] In some embodiments, controlling the friction element to rotate and move relative to the enclosure includes:

[0031] By controlling the rotation and movement of the friction component using a computer numerical control (CNC) machine tool, the CNC machine tool can precisely control the rotational speed, movement speed, and the amount of pressure between the friction component and the enclosure. This results in a denser and more uniform metal structure in the metal layer obtained by the enclosure on the circumferential outer wall side when the friction component contacts the enclosure.

[0032] In some embodiments, the rotational speed of the friction element is greater than or equal to 2000 r / min, the moving speed of the friction element is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 100 mm / min, and the pressing amount between the friction element and the enclosure is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1.0 mm.

[0033] This configuration allows for precise control of rotational speed, moving speed, and extrusion amount within a suitable range. This enables the outer circumferential wall of the enclosure to heat up rapidly during friction with the friction components, promoting crystal structure rearrangement and optimization on one side of the outer circumferential wall. This ensures that the thickness of the dense metal layer within the final shell can be between 0.3mm and 0.8mm, while also overcoming problems arising from larger extrusion amounts and lower friction component moving speeds. This prevents the friction components from breaking or vibrating, and ensures that internal features such as protruding structures in the metal components do not deform, resulting in high production efficiency for both the metal components and the shell.

[0034] In some embodiments, the rotational speed of the friction element is greater than or equal to 2000 r / min and less than or equal to 3000 r / min, the moving speed of the friction element is greater than 50 mm / min and less than or equal to 100 mm / min, and the compression amount between the friction element and the enclosure is greater than 0.5 mm and less than or equal to 1.0 mm.

[0035] This configuration allows for further control of rotational speed, moving speed, and extrusion amount within a suitable range. This ensures that the thickness of the dense metal layer inside the final casing can be between 0.4mm and 0.8mm, while also preventing the friction components from breaking or vibrating. It also ensures that the internal features of the metal structural components, such as the protruding structures, do not deform, thus enabling the metal structural components and casing to achieve high production efficiency.

[0036] In some embodiments, the rotational speed of the friction element is greater than 3000 r / min and less than or equal to 5000 r / min, the moving speed of the friction element is greater than 20 mm / min and less than or equal to 50 mm / min, and the compression amount between the friction element and the enclosure is greater than 0.3 mm and less than or equal to 0.5 mm.

[0037] This configuration allows for further control over the rotational speed, moving speed, and extrusion amount, ensuring that the thickness of the dense metal layer within the final casing is between 0.4mm and 0.7mm. It also prevents friction components from breaking or vibrating, and ensures that internal features such as protruding structures in the metal components do not deform, resulting in high production efficiency for both the metal components and the casing. Furthermore, the parameter settings in this embodiment improve the uniformity of the dense metal layer, giving the casing a more refined appearance and a premium feel.

[0038] In some embodiments, the rotational speed of the friction element is greater than 5000 r / min and less than 40000 r / min, the moving speed of the friction element is greater than 0 mm / min and less than or equal to 20 mm / min, and the amount of pressure between the friction element and the enclosure is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 0.3 mm.

[0039] This configuration allows for further control over the rotational speed, moving speed, and extrusion amount, ensuring that the thickness of the dense metal layer within the final casing is between 0.3mm and 0.6mm. It also prevents friction components from breaking or vibrating, and ensures that internal features such as protruding structures in the metal components do not deform, resulting in high production efficiency for both the metal components and the casing. Furthermore, the parameter settings in this embodiment further improve the uniformity of the dense metal layer, giving the casing a more refined appearance and a premium feel.

[0040] In some embodiments, the friction element is a friction tool, a metal rod, or a grinding wheel. This ensures that the friction element 300 contacts the enclosure to form a dense metal layer, while also allowing for a greater variety of friction element options to accommodate different friction elements used in the manufacture of metal structural components by computer numerical control machine tools.

[0041] In some embodiments, the surface of the enclosure portion on the dense metal layer is treated, including:

[0042] The thickness of the dense metal layer is partially removed. This not only preserves the appearance of the dense metal layer but also gives its surface a better gloss, further enhancing the overall refinement and texture of the casing.

[0043] In some embodiments, the exterior decorative layer includes at least one of anodized film, electrophoretic coating, and spray coating.

[0044] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide an electronic device, which includes an electronic module and a housing. The housing is made of any of the above-mentioned housings, or the housing is manufactured by any of the above-mentioned manufacturing methods, and the electronic module is disposed in a cavity within the housing.

[0045] The housing of the present application embodiment has a lower cost advantage, and the housing can have a high degree of refinement and high-end texture in appearance, so that electronic devices can meet different design requirements and market preferences. Attached Figure Description

[0046] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 2 is an exploded view of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a shell structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 4 is a partial schematic diagram of a housing provided in the related art;

[0050] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of another shell structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the enclosure portion of a shell provided in an embodiment of this application in the thickness direction;

[0052] Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the enclosure portion of another shell provided in an embodiment of this application in the thickness direction;

[0053] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of a metal structural component and a friction component provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a die-casting mold provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 10 is a partial schematic diagram of a housing provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of a shell provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0057] Reference numerals: 100-Electronic device; 10-Housing; 11-Top; 12-Bottom; 13-Metal structural component; 131-Cavity; 1311-Inner sidewall; 1312-Inner bottom wall; 132-Protruding structure; 1321-Chamfered corner; 1322-Circumferential sidewall; 133-Circumferential outer surface; 134-Circumferential inner surface; 135-Support; 136-Enclosure; 1361-Dense metal layer; 1362-Pore layer; 1363-Large pore layer; 1364-Small pore layer; 1365-Pore; 14-Decorative layer; 141-Appearance surface; 20-Display screen; 30-Back cover; 40-Main circuit board; 50-Battery; 200-Die casting mold; 210-Gate; 300-Friction component. Detailed Implementation

[0058] The terminology used in the implementation section of this application is for the purpose of explaining specific embodiments of this application only, and is not intended to limit this application.

[0059] This application provides an electronic device, which may include, but is not limited to, consumer electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets, personal computers (PCs), laptops, and smart wearable devices. For example, the electronic device may also include communication and network equipment, industrial control equipment, etc. The mobile phone may include, but is not limited to, non-foldable phones and foldable phones. A non-foldable phone can be understood as a phone whose configuration does not easily change due to folding; a non-foldable phone can be understood as a candybar phone. Smart wearable devices may include, but are not limited to, smartwatches and smart bracelets. Communication and network equipment may include, but is not limited to, PLC controllers and industrial tablets.

[0060] Figure 1 shows a structural schematic diagram of an electronic device 100 to which this application applies, and Figure 2 shows an exploded view of an electronic device 100. The electronic devices 100 shown in Figure 2 are all non-folding mobile phones.

[0061] The structure of the electronic device 100 will be further explained below with reference to Figures 1 and 2, taking a non-foldable mobile phone as an example.

[0062] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the electronic device 100 includes a housing 10, which is the main support structure of the electronic device 100. For ease of description, the width direction of the housing 10 is defined as the X direction, the length direction of the housing 10 is defined as the Y direction, and the thickness direction of the housing 10 is defined as the Z direction.

[0063] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the electronic device 100 also includes a display screen 20, which is located on one side of the housing 10 in the thickness direction. The display screen 20 can provide a display interface and an interactive interface with the user for the electronic device 100.

[0064] Referring to Figure 2, the electronic device 100 may also include a rear cover 30, which is disposed on the other side of the housing 10 in the thickness direction.

[0065] Referring to Figure 2, the electronic device 100 also includes a main circuit board 40, a secondary circuit board, a battery 50, etc. The main circuit board 40 typically houses modules such as a processor module, a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a storage module, a communication module, a radio frequency module, and a power management module. The display screen 20 can be electrically connected to the main circuit board 40 and can be used to display various information and receive user input.

[0066] The secondary circuit board typically houses a multi-function connector, card slot module, audio module, microphone, etc. The multi-function connector can be a USB connector. The USB connector serves as the main charging port for the electronic device 100. Furthermore, the USB connector can also be used for data transfer between two electronic devices 100.

[0067] The battery 50 can provide power to various electrical components within the electronic device 100. For example, these electrical components may include, but are not limited to, the aforementioned display screen 20, main circuit board 40, and sub-circuit board.

[0068] The main circuit board 40, the sub-circuit board, the battery 50, and the display screen 20 are electronic modules in the electronic device 100.

[0069] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a housing 10.

[0070] Referring to Figure 3 and in conjunction with Figure 2, to facilitate the installation of the aforementioned electronic modules within the housing 10, the housing 10 has a cavity 131 for housing the electronic modules of the electronic device 100. For example, a cavity 131 may be provided within the housing 10 at a position corresponding to each of the aforementioned electronic modules, so as to facilitate the housing 131 in accommodating the corresponding electronic module.

[0071] Figure 3 only shows the structure of the housing 10 on the side facing the rear cover 30. Referring to Figure 3, the housing 10 may have three cavities 131 on the side facing the rear cover 30, and these three cavities 131 are arranged sequentially along the length of the housing 10. The cavity 131 near the top 11 of the housing 10 is called the first cavity, the cavity 131 near the bottom 12 of the housing 10 is called the second cavity, and the cavity 131 located in the middle region of the housing 10 is called the third cavity. The main circuit board 40 is located in the first cavity, the sub-circuit board is located in the second cavity, and the battery 50 is located in the third cavity.

[0072] The housing 10 may have a cavity 131 on the side facing the display screen 20, and part of the display screen 20 is disposed in the cavity 131.

[0073] It should be noted that when the electronic device 100 is a tablet, laptop, smart wearable device, etc., a cavity 131 can be provided inside the housing 10. The main circuit board 40, the sub-circuit board, the battery 50 and the display screen 20 and other electronic modules can be located in the same cavity 131, which can also realize the installation of these electronic modules inside the housing 10.

[0074] This application still takes a non-foldable mobile phone as an example to further illustrate the structure of the electronic device 100.

[0075] Figure 4 shows a partial schematic diagram of a housing 10a provided in the related art.

[0076] Referring to Figure 4, the housing 10a typically includes a metal structural member 13a, within which a cavity 131a is provided so that some electronic modules within the electronic device 100 can be housed. Furthermore, the circumferential outer wall surface of the metal structural member 13a faces the outside of the electronic device 100. The location and number of cavities 131a on the metal structural member 13a can be found in the relevant description of the housing 10 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0077] The metal structural component 13a typically has multiple protruding structures 132a on the cavity wall of the cavity 131a. The cavity wall of the cavity 131a includes an inner sidewall 1311 and an inner bottom wall 1312. The circumferential inner surface 134 of the metal structural component 13a can form the inner sidewall 1311 of the cavity 131a.

[0078] Referring to Figure 4, some of these protrusions 132a can be provided on the inner wall 1311a of the cavity 131a, forming a concave-convex structure on the inner wall 1311a.

[0079] Alternatively, referring to Figure 4 and in conjunction with Figure 3, the protrusions 132a on the inner sidewall 1311a can extend and connect to the two opposing inner sidewalls 1311a inside the cavity 131a. In this case, these protrusions 132a can together with the inner sidewall 1311 and the inner bottom wall 1312 to form a cavity 131a.

[0080] In addition, some of these protruding structures 132a may be located on the inner bottom wall 1312.

[0081] In related technologies, the raw materials for metal structural components 13a are typically profiled aluminum alloys or profiled magnesium alloys. The processing technology for metal structural components 13a usually involves first machining the raw materials of metal structural components 13a using Computer Numerical Control (CNC) to rough mill the external shape and internal features such as protruding structures 132a of metal structural components 13a, and then performing fine milling and other processes on the raw materials to obtain metal structural components 13a.

[0082] Because the metal structural component has many protrusions 132a, the processing time required to obtain the metal structural component 13a using the above-mentioned processing technology is relatively long. Furthermore, a significant amount of raw material is removed during the milling process, resulting in considerable waste. Consequently, the processing cost of the metal structural component 13a is high, and the consumption of raw materials is substantial.

[0083] In addition, since the metal structural component 13 is machined by CNC technology, the metal structural component 13a will have a small rounded chamfer 1321 (usually less than 0.1 mm) on the edge of the protrusion 132a. The circumferential sidewall 1322a of the protrusion 132a is perpendicular to the inner sidewall 1311 of the cavity 131a (the circumferential sidewall 1322a of the protrusion 132a is a vertical surface with a 0-degree angle). Furthermore, the cavity wall (such as the inner sidewall 1311) of the cavity 131a has tool marks made by a cutting tool.

[0084] Therefore, this application provides a housing 10. The housing 10 includes a metal structural component, which is a die-cast metal part. The die-cast metal part has a cavity, and the cavity wall has a plurality of protrusions. By providing the cavity inside the die-cast metal part, the electronic module of the electronic device 100 can be accommodated, so that the electronic module is disposed in the cavity inside the housing, and the assembly of the electronic module inside the housing 10 can be realized.

[0085] Furthermore, compared to the aforementioned CNC process, the use of metal die casting allows metal structural components to be formed through die casting, saving processing time and significantly reducing raw material waste, thus giving the housing of this application embodiment a lower cost advantage.

[0086] In addition, by setting a dense metal layer on the metal structural components, the sand holes on the circumferential outer surface of the metal structural components can be refined, reduced, or even eliminated, thereby increasing the density of the metal structural components on the circumferential outer surface. This allows the appearance decorative layer on the casing to avoid appearance defects such as pits caused by sand holes, so that the casing can have a high degree of refinement and high-end texture. The electronic device 100 can meet different design requirements and market preferences.

[0087] The structure of the housing 10 of this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0088] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of another housing 10 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0089] Referring to Figure 5, the housing 10 includes a metal structural component 13, which is a die-cast metal part. A die-cast metal part can be understood as a metal structure formed through a die-casting process. The metal structural component 13 includes a support portion 135 and a retaining portion 136. The retaining portion 136 surrounds the circumferential edge of the support portion 135, and the retaining portion 136 and the support portion 135 together form a cavity 131. For example, the retaining portion 136 can be an annular structure so that the retaining portion 136 can surround the circumferential edge of the support portion 135 and together with the support portion 135 form the cavity 131.

[0090] The cavity 131 is used to house the electronic module of the electronic device 100. The cavity wall of the cavity 131 has several protruding structures 132 to allow the electronic module to be assembled within the housing 10 while also ensuring that the structure of the metal structural component 13 meets the structural design requirements of the electronic device 100 for the housing 10. The metal structural component 13 can be considered as the skeleton structure of the housing 10. In addition to the metal structural component 13, the housing 10 may also include other structures, which will be further described below.

[0091] By designing the metal structural component 13 as a die-cast metal part, the metal structural component 13 can be formed through a die-casting process. After the die-casting process, a metal structural component 13 with a cavity 131 and a plurality of protruding structures 132 within the cavity 131 can be obtained. Compared with the CNC process described above, this embodiment of the application does not require CNC machining to form the shape of the metal structural component 13. This saves the machining time of the metal structural component 13, greatly reduces the waste of raw materials, and gives the metal structural component 13 and the shell 10 of this application a lower cost advantage.

[0092] Furthermore, compared to the aforementioned CNC process, since the metal structural component 13 is a die-cast metal part, the metal structural component 13 has a larger rounded chamfer 1321 (greater than or equal to 0.1mm) on the edge of the protruding structure 132, which makes the edge of the protruding structure 132 of the metal structural component 13 more rounded and smooth. Moreover, without considering the post-processing of the die-cast metal part (such as using CNC process to process local features of the metal structural component 13), the occurrence of tool marks on the cavity wall of the cavity 131 can be avoided.

[0093] During the die casting process, numerous large-diameter sand holes (1365) with varying density will not appear on the surface or inside the die casting. Sand holes (1365) are a common defect in the die casting process, affecting the strength and appearance of the die casting.

[0094] Figure 6 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the enclosure portion 136 of a housing 10 in the thickness direction.

[0095] Referring to Figure 6 and in conjunction with Figure 5, the housing 10 also includes an exterior decorative layer 14, which is disposed on the side of the enclosure 136 facing away from the support 135. The side of the exterior decorative layer 14 facing away from the enclosure 136 forms the exterior surface 141 of the housing 10. When the housing 10 is applied to the electronic device 100, the exterior surface 141 of the housing 10 is exposed on the outer surface of the electronic device 100. By providing the exterior decorative layer 14, the housing 10 can have a high degree of refinement and a high-end texture on the exterior surface 141, enabling the electronic device 100 to meet different design requirements and market preferences.

[0096] Since the metal structural component 13 is a die-cast metal part, during the die-casting process, many large-diameter sand holes 1365 with varying densities will appear on the surface and inside of the metal structural component 13. The presence of these sand holes 1365 will affect the density of the metal structural component 13, thereby affecting its strength. Furthermore, the presence of sand holes 1365 may also cause visible pits on the surface of the metal structural component 13, as well as visible holes inside the metal structural component 13. This will result in appearance defects such as pits on the formed decorative layer 14, affecting the premium feel and refinement of the shell 10 on the surface 141.

[0097] Figure 7 is a partial schematic diagram of a metal structural component 13 provided in an embodiment of this application, which is die-cast and has a dense metal layer 1361.

[0098] Therefore, referring to Figure 7 and in conjunction with Figure 5, the enclosure portion 136 also has a dense metal layer 1361 on the side opposite to the support portion 135. The exterior decorative layer 14 is disposed on the side of the dense metal layer 1361 opposite to the support portion 135. Similarly, the exterior decorative layer 14 can be disposed on the side of the enclosure portion 136 opposite to the support portion 135 and form the exterior surface 141 of the housing 10, which is exposed on the outer surface of the electronic device 100.

[0099] By setting a dense metal layer 1361 on the die-cast metal part, the surface structure of the metal on the side of the retaining part 136 away from the supporting part 135 can be improved and optimized. This refines, reduces, or even eliminates sand holes 1365 on the side of the retaining part 136 away from the supporting part 135, ensuring that there are no sand holes 1365 on the surface and inside of the dense metal layer 1361, or that the presence of sand holes 1365 is not easily noticeable to the naked eye. No visible pits will appear on the surface of the dense metal layer 1361, nor will there be any visible pits inside the dense metal layer 1361. No visible holes will appear, which can improve the density of the metal dense layer 1361, thereby improving the strength and appearance of the enclosure 136 on the metal dense layer 1361. This avoids appearance defects such as pits on the appearance decorative layer 14 due to sand holes 1365 when the appearance decorative layer 14 is placed on the metal dense layer 1361, thus ensuring that the housing 10 has a high degree of refinement and high-end texture on the appearance surface 141, so that the electronic device 100 can meet different design requirements and market preferences.

[0100] In some embodiments, the decorative layer 14 may include at least one of an anodic oxide film, an electrophoretic coating, and a spray coating. The decorative layer 14 may be one of an anodic oxide film, an electrophoretic coating, and a spray coating. The decorative layer 14 may also be two of an anodic oxide film, an electrophoretic coating, and a spray coating; for example, the decorative layer 14 may be a composite layer formed of an anodic oxide film and an electrophoretic coating.

[0101] Anodized film can be understood as an oxide film formed on the side of dense metal layer 1361 facing away from support portion 135 after anodizing treatment. Electrophoretic coating can be understood as a coating formed on the side of dense metal layer 1361 facing away from support portion 135 after electrophoretic treatment. Spray coating can be understood as a coating formed on the side of dense metal layer 1361 facing away from support portion 135 after a spraying process.

[0102] By using any of the methods of anodizing, electrophoretic coating, and spray coating, the corrosion resistance and wear resistance of the housing 10 on the surface 141 can be increased. At the same time, the housing 10 on the surface 141 can be presented with a variety of different colors and gloss levels according to design requirements, so that the housing 10 on the surface 141 has better visual appeal and smoothness, so that the housing 10 on the surface 141 has a high degree of refinement and high-end texture, and the electronic device 100 can meet different design requirements and market preferences.

[0103] Furthermore, when the exterior decorative layer 14 includes two or more of the following: anodized film layer, electrophoretic coating layer and spray coating layer (e.g., anodized film layer and electrophoretic coating layer), the housing 10 can achieve a richer and more stable color effect on the exterior surface 141, and the gloss of the housing 10 on the exterior surface 141 can be more uniform, so that the housing 10 can obtain a higher level of refinement and a higher-grade texture on the exterior surface 141.

[0104] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of a metal structural component 13 and a friction component 300.

[0105] Referring to Figure 8, in some embodiments, the side of the enclosure portion 136 facing away from the support portion 135 is the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure portion 136. The enclosure portion 136 is configured to form a dense metal layer 1361 when the circumferential outer wall is pressed into contact with the friction member 300 that rotates and moves relative to the enclosure portion 136.

[0106] During the rotation of the friction element 300 and its movement relative to the enclosure portion 136, friction can occur between the friction element 300 and the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure portion 136 through the squeezing contact between the friction element 300 and the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure portion 136.

[0107] Furthermore, by controlling key parameters such as the rotation speed and moving speed of the friction element 300, as well as the amount of extrusion between the friction element 300 and the enclosure portion 136, the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure portion 136 can be rapidly heated and subjected to extrusion pressure during friction with the friction element 300, causing the crystal structure of the enclosure portion 136 on the circumferential outer wall side to rearrange and optimize. This can improve and optimize the metal surface layer structure of the enclosure portion 136 on the circumferential outer wall side, refine, reduce, or even eliminate the sand holes 1365 of the enclosure portion 136 on the side opposite to the support portion 135, increase the density of the enclosure portion 136 on the circumferential outer wall side, and make the dense metal layer 1361 obtained by the enclosure portion 136 on the circumferential outer wall side more dense and have a uniform metal structure.

[0108] It should be noted that the amount of compression between the friction element 300 and the enclosure portion 136 can be understood as the amount of interference between the friction element 300 and the enclosure portion 136. The settings of key parameters such as the rotational speed of the friction element 300, the moving speed, and the amount of compression between the friction element 300 and the enclosure portion 136 will be explained in detail when describing the manufacturing method of the housing 10 below, and will not be elaborated here.

[0109] Referring again to Figure 7, in some embodiments, the enclosure portion 136 has a porous layer 1362 on the side facing the support portion 135, and each porous layer 1362 has a plurality of porous holes 1365. The diameter of the porous holes 1365 in the porous layer 1362 is larger than the diameter of the porous holes 1365 in the dense metal layer 1361. The diameter of the porous holes 1365 in the dense metal layer 1361 can be less than or equal to 0.15 mm, while the diameter of the porous holes 1365 in the porous layer 1362 can be greater than 0.15 mm. Therefore, it can be seen that the diameter of the porous holes 1365 in the dense metal layer 1361 is smaller than the diameter of the porous holes 1365 in the porous layer 1362, which can improve the density of the enclosure portion 136 on the circumferential outer wall side, making the dense metal layer 1361 obtained on the circumferential outer wall side of the enclosure portion 136 more compact and having a uniform metal structure.

[0110] When the diameter of the sand holes 1365 in the dense metal layer 1361 is less than or equal to 0.15 mm, the diameter of the sand holes 1365 in the dense metal layer 1361 can be 0.13 mm, 0.10 mm, 0.08 mm, 0.05 mm, 0.02 mm, etc. When the metal surface structure on the circumferential outer wall side of the enclosure part 136 has a good improvement effect, the diameter of the sand holes 1365 in the dense metal layer 1361 approaches 0 infinitely. At this time, there can be no sand holes 1365 in the dense metal layer 1361, or it can be approximately regarded as having no sand holes 1365.

[0111] The sand hole layer 1362 may further include a large sand hole layer 1363 and a small sand hole layer 1364, wherein the diameter of the sand holes 1365 in the large sand hole layer 1363 is smaller than the diameter of the sand holes in the small sand hole layer 1364. Compared to the small sand hole layer 1364, the large sand hole layer 1363 is closer to the support portion 135 within the enclosure portion 136. The small sand hole layer 1364 can be considered as a transition layer between the large sand hole layer 1363 and the dense metal layer 1361.

[0112] Since the metal structural component 13 is a die-cast metal part, when the metal structural component 13 is manufactured by the die-casting process, many pores will appear on the surface and inside of the metal structural component 13. The presence of pores will also affect the density and strength of the dense metal layer 1361.

[0113] In some embodiments, based on the fact that the pore size of the sand holes 1365 in the dense metal layer 1361 is smaller than the pore size of the sand holes 1365 in the sand hole layer 1362, the porosity of the dense metal layer 1361 is also smaller than the porosity of the sand hole layer 1362. For example, the porosity of the dense metal layer 1361 may be less than or equal to 1%, and the porosity of the sand hole layer 1362 may be greater than 1%. Porosity refers to the ratio of the area of ​​all pores in a certain cross-section of the enclosure portion 136 to the total area within that cross-section.

[0114] By setting the porosity of the dense metal layer 1361 to be lower than that of the sand-hole layer 1362, the dense metal layer 1361, while having small-diameter sand pores 1365, also has a low porosity. This allows the enclosure portion 136 to obtain a denser and more uniform metal structure in the dense metal layer 1361, enhancing the density of the dense metal layer 1361, thereby further improving the strength and appearance of the enclosure portion 136 in the dense metal layer 1361, and ensuring the refinement and high-end texture of the shell 10 on the exterior surface 141.

[0115] It should be noted that the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure 136 heats up rapidly during friction with the friction member 300. By improving and optimizing the metal surface structure of the enclosure 136 on the circumferential outer wall side, the porosity of the dense metal layer 1361 can be reduced, and the density of the enclosure 136 on the side away from the support 135 (circumferential outer wall) can be increased.

[0116] Referring again to Figure 7, the thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361 inside the housing 10 can be greater than or equal to 0.3 mm and less than or equal to 0.8 mm. For example, the thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361 can be 0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.75 mm, etc.

[0117] It should be noted that during the manufacturing process of the shell 10, before forming the decorative layer 14 on the enclosure portion 136, a portion of the dense metal layer 1361 usually needs to be removed. Since the sand pores 1365 within the dense metal layer 1361 are small and difficult to detect with the naked eye, removing this portion of the dense metal layer 1361 not only does not affect its appearance but also gives its surface a better gloss, further enhancing the refinement and texture of the shell 10 on the exterior surface 141. Therefore, during the manufacturing process of the shell 10, the thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361 within the enclosure portion 136 is usually made slightly thicker.

[0118] In theory, during the manufacturing process of the housing 10, the thicker the dense metal layer 1361 is before the portion is removed, the better. However, when the thickness is greater, the amount of extrusion between the friction element 300 and the enclosure 136 is larger, and the enclosure 136 is easily deformed by extrusion. This causes deformation of internal features such as the protrusion structure 132 of the metal structural component 13, which requires the protrusion structure 132 to be processed again, thus increasing the manufacturing cost of the housing 10.

[0119] Therefore, in this embodiment of the application, when the thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361 in the shell 10 is greater than or equal to 0.3 mm and less than or equal to 0.8 mm, the original thickness of the dense metal layer 1361 (the thickness before removing part of the structure) can be controlled within a suitable range during the manufacturing process of the shell 10. This ensures the increased density of the enclosure 136 on the side away from the support 135, and that the strength and appearance of the enclosure 136 on the side away from the support 135 meet the design requirements. At the same time, it can prevent deformation of internal features such as the protruding structure 132 of the metal structural component 13, save the manufacturing time of the metal structural component 13, and reduce the manufacturing cost of the shell 10.

[0120] Figure 9 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a die-casting mold 200.

[0121] Referring to Figure 9, the metal structural component is constructed as a die-cast blank formed after being pressed into contact with the friction element 300. The die-cast blank is constructed as a metal raw material formed by die casting through a die-casting mold 200. The shape of the die-cast blank matches the shape of the metal structural component; that is, the die-cast blank also includes a support portion 135 and a retaining portion 136. The difference from the metal structural component is that a dense metal layer 1361 has not yet been formed within the retaining portion 136 of the die-cast blank.

[0122] Referring to Figure 9, after the metal raw material is heated into a liquid, it can enter the die casting mold 200 through the inlet 210 and flow inside the die casting mold 200. After the metal raw material solidifies and is removed from the die casting mold 200, a die casting blank with the shape of a metal die casting can be obtained. That is, the die casting blank has internal features such as the cavity 131 and the protruding structure 132 of the metal die casting.

[0123] Furthermore, the die-cast blank can form a dense metal layer 1361 through the extrusion contact of the friction element 300, so that the housing 10 has a lower cost advantage while ensuring that the housing 10 has a high degree of refinement and high-end texture on the appearance surface 141, so that the electronic device 100 can meet different design requirements and market preferences.

[0124] In some embodiments, the metal raw material is a magnesium alloy or an aluminum alloy. For example, the metal raw material can be a profiled magnesium alloy or a profiled aluminum alloy. Profiled magnesium alloys and profiled aluminum alloys refer to magnesium alloy or aluminum alloy materials processed into specific cross-sectional shapes through processes such as extrusion, rolling, or casting. These profiles have fixed geometric shapes.

[0125] Because magnesium alloys or aluminum alloys have good flow and forming properties, by using magnesium alloys or aluminum alloys as the metal raw materials, the magnesium alloys or aluminum alloys, after being heated into liquid, can enter the die casting mold 200 through the inlet 210, so that the magnesium alloys or aluminum alloys can flow in the die casting mold 200 to fill the mold cavity. After the magnesium alloys or aluminum alloys solidify and are removed from the die casting mold 200, the die casting blank can be easily formed to obtain the die casting blank.

[0126] It should be noted that, because the size of the support portion 135 is smaller than the size of the retaining portion 136 along the thickness direction of the shell 10, the die-cast blank has a smaller thickness at the support portion 135 and a larger thickness at the retaining portion 136. In the design of the die-casting mold 200, the shape of the mold cavity matches the shape of the required die-cast blank. Therefore, the height of the mold cavity corresponding to the support portion 135 is smaller, and the height of the mold cavity corresponding to the retaining portion 136 is larger. The area within the mold cavity corresponding to the support portion 135 is called the first area, and the area within the mold cavity corresponding to the support portion 135 is called the second area. The gate 210 is located on the surface of the die-casting mold 200 in the first area. When the magnesium alloy or aluminum alloy enters the first area through the gate 210 and flows towards the second area, it erodes the mold cavity, resulting in a rough surface and large planar flow lines on the die-cast blank at the location corresponding to the support portion 135. The support portion 135 is located in the middle of the housing 10 and does not form the outer surface 141 of the housing 10. Therefore, it does not affect the refinement and high-end texture of the housing 10 on the outer surface 141, nor does it affect the use of the housing 10.

[0127] Figure 10 shows a partial schematic diagram of a housing 10, wherein Figure 10 can be regarded as a partial schematic diagram of the housing 10 in the enclosure portion 136.

[0128] Referring to Figure 10, in some embodiments, the circumferential sidewall 1322 of the protrusion structure 132 is provided with a demolding angle α, which can be greater than or equal to 0.5° and less than or equal to 10°. For example, the demolding angle α can be 1°, 3°, 4°, 7°, 8°, etc.

[0129] By setting the demolding angle α, the circumferential sidewall 1322 of the protruding structure 132 can form an inclined surface, making the size of the protruding structure 132 at the top 11 smaller than its size at the root. In this case, the protruding structure 132 will form a shape that is larger on the outside and smaller on the inside, and the thickness of the protruding structure 132 will also change from thin to thick along the direction from the top 11 to the root. The die-casting mold 200 typically has a fixed mold and a moving mold, which together form the mold cavity. When the moving mold moves away from the fixed mold along the height direction of the protruding structure 132, the demolding angle α on the circumferential sidewall 1322 of the protruding structure 132 facilitates the smooth separation of the die-casting blank from the die-casting mold 200, thus enabling the rapid acquisition of the die-casting blank. The height direction of the protruding structure 132 can be referred to as the W direction. When the protruding structure 132 is provided on the enclosure portion 136, the W direction can be parallel to the width direction of the shell 10.

[0130] Due to the setting of the draft angle α, a black line will be formed at the root of the protrusion structure 132 in the die-cast blank formed by the die-casting mold 200. Similarly, since the protrusion structure 132 is located in the middle of the housing 10 and does not form the appearance surface 141 of the housing 10, it will not affect the refinement and high-end texture of the appearance surface 141 of the housing 10, nor will it affect the use of the housing 10.

[0131] It should be noted that, depending on the structural design of the die-casting mold 200 and the different demolding directions, the circumferential sidewall 1322 of the protruding structure 132 may not have a demolding angle, yet the die-casting mold 200 can still be demolded smoothly. For example, when the moving mold moves radially away from the fixed mold along the protruding structure 132, the circumferential sidewall 1322 of the protruding structure 132 may not have a demolding angle α, yet the die-cast blank can still be obtained conveniently and quickly. The V direction shown in Figure 10 can be considered as a radial direction of the protruding structure 132. When the protruding structure 132 is provided on the enclosure portion 136, the V direction can be parallel to the length direction of the shell 10.

[0132] In some embodiments, in addition to the metal structural member 13, the housing 10 may also include an injection-molded part. For example, the injection-molded part may include a plastic part, a plastic component, etc. The injection-molded part may be disposed within the cavity 131 of the metal structural member 13 and connected to the metal structural member 13. The injection-molded part may be formed on the metal structural member 13 using a nano-mechanical injection molding process to connect the injection-molded part to the metal structural member 13.

[0133] Based on the above, this application also provides a method for manufacturing a housing 10, which is used to manufacture the housing 10 as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0134] Figure 11 shows a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of a housing 10.

[0135] The manufacturing method of the housing 10 will be further described below with reference to Figures 9 and 11 and the embodiments.

[0136] The method for manufacturing the housing 10 includes:

[0137] Step S10: Obtain the metal raw materials for manufacturing the shell 10.

[0138] For details on metal raw materials, please refer to the relevant descriptions above, which will not be repeated here.

[0139] Referring to Figures 9 and 11, the manufacturing method of the housing 10 further includes:

[0140] Step S20: Die casting the metal raw material to obtain a die casting blank. The die casting blank includes a support part 135 and a surrounding part 136. The surrounding part 136 surrounds the circumferential edge of the support part 135, and the sand hole layer 1362 and the support part 135 together form a cavity 131. The cavity 131 is used to house the electronic module of the electronic device 100. The cavity wall of the cavity 131 has a number of protruding structures 132.

[0141] Step S30: The friction member 300 is brought into contact with the side of the enclosure 136 away from the support 135, and the friction member 300 is controlled to rotate and move relative to the enclosure 136 to squeeze the enclosure 136, so that a dense metal layer 1361 is formed on the side of the enclosure 136 away from the support 135, and a metal structural member 13 is obtained.

[0142] Step S40: Perform post-processing on the metal structural component 13 to obtain the housing 10. The post-processing includes surface treatment of the dense metal layer 1361 to form an appearance decorative layer 14 on the surface of the dense metal layer 1361.

[0143] Steps S20 and S30 enable the metal structural component 13 to be obtained from the die-cast blank, and the metal structural component 13 to have the shape of the shell 10, that is, the metal structural component 13 has a cavity 131 and a plurality of protrusions 132 inside the cavity 131.

[0144] Furthermore, compared to the aforementioned CNC process, since the die-cast blank in step S20 is obtained by die-casting metal raw materials, the processing time of the metal structural component 13 can be saved, greatly reducing the waste of raw materials, thus giving the metal structural component 13 and the shell 10 of this application a lower cost advantage.

[0145] In addition, compared with the CNC process mentioned above, the manufacturing method of the housing 10 of this application also has the aforementioned ability to make the edges of the protruding structure 132 of the metal structural part 13 more rounded and smooth, and to avoid the appearance of tool marks on the cavity wall of the cavity 131 without considering the post-processing of the metal die casting.

[0146] In step S20, the friction member 300, while rotating and moving relative to the enclosure 136, presses against the enclosure 136, causing the metal structural member 13 to form a dense metal layer 1361 on the side of the enclosure 136 facing away from the support 135. Due to the dense metal layer 1361, the density of the enclosure 136 on the side facing away from the support 135 is increased, preventing appearance defects in the decorative layer 14 caused by pinholes 1365 when it is applied to the dense metal layer 1361. This ensures that the housing 10 has a high degree of refinement and a premium feel on its surface 141, allowing the electronic device 100 to meet different design requirements and market preferences. For details, please refer to the relevant description above; further elaboration will not be repeated here.

[0147] Referring again to Figure 9, step S20, where the metal raw material is die-cast to obtain a die-cast blank, may specifically include:

[0148] After the metal raw material is heated into a liquid, it enters the die casting mold 200 through the inlet 210 and flows inside the die casting mold 200. After the metal raw material solidifies and is removed from the die casting mold 200, a die casting blank is obtained.

[0149] The surface treatment process for the dense metal layer 1361 mentioned in step S40 includes at least one of anodizing, electrophoresis and spraying, and the formed decorative layer 14 may also include at least one of anodized film, electrophoretic coating and spray coating.

[0150] In some embodiments, before processing the enclosure portion 136 on the surface of the dense metal layer 1361 in step S40, the method further includes:

[0151] Remove a portion of the dense metal layer 1361. For example, in step S40, a portion of the dense metal layer 1361 can be removed by CNC precision milling.

[0152] By removing part of the thickness of the dense metal layer 1361 in step S40, the surface of the dense metal layer 1361 will have better gloss without affecting the appearance of the dense metal layer 1361. For details, please refer to the relevant description above, which will not be repeated here.

[0153] It should be noted that in step S40, after removing part of the thickness of the dense metal layer 1361 and before performing surface treatment on the dense metal layer 1361, the internal features such as the protrusion structure 132 in the metal structural part 13 are also included by precision milling by CNC.

[0154] Before removing a portion of the dense metal layer 1361 in step S40, the post-processing also includes:

[0155] The local features of the metal structural component 13 are machined by CNC so that the shape of the metal structural component 13 meets the design requirements of the shell 10.

[0156] In some embodiments, when the housing 10 further includes an injection molded part, the post-processing in step S40 further includes:

[0157] The injection molded part is formed by nano-injection molding and then connected to the metal structural part 13. The injection molded part formation process in step S40 can take place after the local features of the metal structural part 13 are machined by CNC and before the part of the dense metal layer 1361 is removed by CNC precision milling.

[0158] In some embodiments, before removing a portion of the thickness of the dense metal layer 1361, the thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361 may be greater than or equal to 0.3 mm and less than or equal to 0.8 mm.

[0159] The following text will further elaborate on step S30.

[0160] Referring to Figure 11, in some embodiments, step S30, controlling the friction member 300 to rotate and move relative to the enclosure portion 136, includes:

[0161] While controlling the rotation of the friction element 300, the friction element 300 can also be controlled to move relative to the enclosure part 136 along the length, width, and thickness directions of the die-cast blank. The length direction of the die-cast blank is parallel to the length direction of the housing 10, the width direction of the die-cast blank is parallel to the width direction of the housing 10, and the thickness direction of the die-cast blank is parallel to the thickness direction of the housing 10.

[0162] During the rotation of the friction element 300, by moving relative to the retaining portion 136 along the length, width, and thickness directions of the die-cast blank, the friction element 300 can press against the entire circumferential outer wall of the retaining portion 136 during rotation. This allows a dense metal layer 1361 to be formed on the entire circumferential outer wall of the retaining portion 136, resulting in good density. This also better prevents appearance defects in the decorative layer 14 caused by sand holes 1365 when it is placed on the dense metal layer 1361, ensuring that the housing 10 has a high degree of refinement and a premium feel on the surface 141, enabling the electronic device 100 to meet different design requirements and market preferences.

[0163] In some embodiments, step S30, controlling the friction member 300 to rotate and move relative to the enclosure portion 136, includes:

[0164] The friction component 300 is controlled to rotate and move by a computer numerical control machine tool.

[0165] Specifically, the friction component 300 can be suspended on a computer numerical control machine tool.

[0166] The computer numerical control (CNC) machine tool controls the rotation and movement of the friction component 300, thereby enabling the CNC machine tool to precisely control the rotational speed N, movement speed Vr, and the amount of compression Qr between the friction component 300 and the enclosure portion 136. This results in a denser and more uniform metal structure in the metal layer 1361 obtained by the enclosure portion 136 on the circumferential outer wall side when the friction component 300 contacts the enclosure portion 136.

[0167] It should be noted that the installation method of friction component 300 on a computer numerical control machine tool can be referred to the installation method of cutting tools on a current computer numerical control machine tool, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0168] In step S30, the rotational speed N, the moving speed Vr, and the extrusion amount Qr of the friction component 300 are key parameters.

[0169] The rotational speed N affects the rate at which the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure 136 heats up during friction with the friction element 300. With a constant moving speed Vr and extrusion amount Qr, a higher rotational speed N allows the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure 136 to heat up rapidly during friction with the friction element 300, promoting the rearrangement and optimization of the crystal structure on one side of the circumferential outer wall. Conversely, with a constant moving speed Vr and extrusion amount Qr, a lower rotational speed N limits the rate at which the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure 136 heats up during friction with the friction element 300, thus limiting the promoting effect on the rearrangement and optimization of the crystal structure on one side of the circumferential outer wall.

[0170] The setting of the extrusion amount Qr affects the amount of interference between the friction element 300 and the enclosure part 136 during rotation. Under the condition of constant rotational speed N and moving speed Vr, a larger extrusion amount Qr results in a greater amount of interference between the friction element 300 and the enclosure part 136 during rotation. This makes the friction element 300 more prone to breakage during rotation and relative movement with the enclosure part 136, and the enclosure part 136 is more prone to extrusion deformation, which in turn leads to deformation of internal features such as the protruding structure 132 of the metal structural component 13.

[0171] Conversely, under the condition that the rotational speed N and the moving speed Vr are constant, the smaller the extrusion amount Qr, the smaller the interference between the friction element 300 and the enclosure part 136 during the rotation process, the limited heating rate of the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure part 136 in the friction with the friction element 300, and the promoting effect of crystal structure rearrangement and optimization on the circumferential outer wall side of the enclosure part 136 will also be limited.

[0172] The setting of the moving speed Vr affects the contact time between the friction element 300 and the enclosure portion 136 per unit time during the rotation process. Under the condition that the moving speed Vr of the friction element 300 and the extrusion amount Qr are constant, when the moving speed Vr is large, the contact time between the friction element 300 and the enclosure portion 136 in a local area is limited. This will also affect the rapid heating of the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure portion 136 during friction with the friction element 300, and the promoting effect of crystal structure rearrangement and optimization on the circumferential outer wall side of the enclosure portion 136 will also be limited.

[0173] Furthermore, since the friction element 300 is suspended on a CNC machine tool and its rotation and movement are controlled by the CNC machine tool, when the moving speed Vr is large, the friction element 300 will vibrate, affecting the extrusion amount Qr and the accuracy of the contact position between the friction element 300 and the enclosure part 136. This will also limit the promoting effect of crystal structure rearrangement and optimization on the circumferential outer wall side of the enclosure part 136. Conversely, under the condition of a certain moving speed Vr and extrusion amount Qr, when the moving speed Vr is small, the contact time between the friction element 300 and the enclosure part 136 in a local area will be prolonged, but this will affect the production efficiency of the metal structural part 13 and the housing 10.

[0174] Therefore, the rotational speed N, the moving speed Vr, and the extrusion amount Qr all have a certain impact on the formation of the dense metal layer 1361. These three key parameters need to be controlled within a suitable range so that the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure 136 can heat up rapidly during friction with the friction element 300. This can promote the rearrangement and optimization of the crystal structure on the circumferential outer wall side of the enclosure 136, while avoiding the problems caused by the large extrusion amount Qr and the small moving speed Vr of the friction element 300 mentioned above.

[0175] Furthermore, compared to the moving speed Vr, the rotational speed N and the extrusion amount Qr have a greater impact on the thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361.

[0176] In some embodiments, the rotational speed N is greater than or equal to 2000 r / min, the moving speed Vr is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 100 mm / min, and the extrusion amount Qr is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1.0 mm. This configuration allows the rotational speed N, moving speed Vr, and extrusion amount Qr to be controlled within appropriate ranges, enabling the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure portion 136 to heat up rapidly during friction with the friction member 300. This promotes the rearrangement and optimization of the crystal structure on one side of the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure portion 136. In this way, after removing part of the dense metal layer 1361 in step S40, the thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361 in the final formed shell 10 can be between 0.3 mm and 0.8 mm. At the same time, it can also overcome the problems caused by the large extrusion amount Qr and the small moving speed Vr of the friction member 300 mentioned above. This makes the friction member 300 less prone to breakage and vibration, and ensures that the internal features such as the protrusion structure 132 of the metal structural member 13 will not be deformed, so that the metal structural member 13 and the shell 10 have high production efficiency.

[0177] Specifically, in the first example, the rotational speed N is greater than or equal to 2000 r / min and less than or equal to 3000 r / min, the moving speed Vr is greater than 50 mm / min and less than or equal to 100 mm / min, and the extrusion amount Qr is greater than 0.5 mm and less than or equal to 1.0 mm. For example, in the first example, the rotational speed N can be 2200 r / min, 2300 r / min, 2500 r / min, 2800 r / min, etc., the moving speed Vr can be 60 mm / min, 70 mm / min, 85 mm / min, 93 mm / min, etc., and the extrusion amount Qr can be 0.6 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.9 mm, etc. For example, in the first example,

[0178] This configuration allows for further narrowing of the rotational speed N, moving speed Vr, and extrusion amount Qr within a suitable range. This ensures that after removing part of the dense metal layer 1361 in step S40, the final thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361 within the shell 10 can be between 0.4 mm and 0.8 mm. Simultaneously, it prevents the friction component 300 from easily breaking or vibrating, and ensures that internal features such as the protruding structure 132 of the metal structural component 13 do not deform, resulting in high production efficiency for both the metal structural component 13 and the shell 10. However, under these parameter settings, the uniformity of the formed dense metal layer 1361 is poor.

[0179] It should be noted that the uniformity of the dense metal layer 1361 refers to the uniformity of the distribution and pore size of the sand holes 1365 and air pores on and inside the dense metal layer 1361. The more uniform the distribution of the sand holes 1365 and air pores on and inside the dense metal layer 1361, and the smaller the difference in pore size, the better the uniformity of the dense metal layer 1361. This helps to avoid appearance defects such as pits in the decorative layer 14 due to sand holes 1365 and air pores, making it easier for the shell 10 to achieve a better level of refinement and a high-end texture on the surface 141.

[0180] Therefore, the setting range of rotational speed N, moving speed Vr, and extrusion amount Qr in the first example allows for a greater improvement in the refinement and texture of the housing 10 on the appearance surface 141.

[0181] Therefore, this application also provides a second example. In the second example, the rotational speed N is greater than 3000 r / min and less than or equal to 5000 r / min, the moving speed Vr is greater than 20 mm / min and less than or equal to 50 mm / min, and the extrusion amount Qr is greater than 0.3 mm and less than or equal to 0.5 mm. For example, in the second example, the rotational speed N can be 3200 r / min, 3500 r / min, 3800 r / min, 4300 r / min, 4600 r / min, 4800 r / min, etc., the moving speed Vr can be 22 mm / min, 26 mm / min, 35 mm / min, 39 mm / min, 42 mm / min, etc., and the extrusion amount Qr can be 0.32 mm, 0.35 mm, 0.39 mm, 0.43 mm, 0.45 mm, 0.48 mm, etc.

[0182] This configuration allows for further narrowing of the rotational speed N, moving speed Vr, and extrusion amount Qr within a more suitable range. This ensures that after removing part of the dense metal layer 1361 in step S40, the final thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361 within the shell 10 can be between 0.4mm and 0.7mm. Simultaneously, it prevents the friction component 300 from easily breaking or vibrating, and ensures that internal features such as the protruding structure 132 of the metal structural component 13 do not deform. This results in higher production efficiency for both the metal structural component 13 and the shell 10. Compared to the first example, the parameter settings in the second example improve the uniformity of the formed dense metal layer 1361, allowing the shell 10 to achieve a better level of refinement and a higher-quality feel on its surface 141.

[0183] This application also provides a third example. In this third example, the rotational speed N is greater than 5000 r / min and less than 40000 r / min, the moving speed Vr is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 20 mm / min, and the extrusion amount Qr is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 0.3 mm. For example, in this third example, the rotational speed N can be 5400 r / min, 5600 r / min, 5900 r / min, 6200 r / min, 6700 r / min, 7000 r / min, etc., the moving speed Vr can be 10 mm / min, 13 mm / min, 16 mm / min, 18 mm / min, etc., and the extrusion amount Qr can be 0.15 mm, 0.20 mm, 0.23 mm, 0.26 mm, 0.29 mm, etc.

[0184] This configuration allows for further narrowing of the rotational speed N, moving speed Vr, and extrusion amount Qr within a more suitable range. This ensures that after removing part of the dense metal layer 1361 in step S40, the final thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361 within the formed housing 10 can be between 0.3mm and 0.6mm. Simultaneously, it prevents the friction component 300 from easily breaking or vibrating, and ensures that internal features such as the protruding structure 132 of the metal structural component 13 do not deform. This results in higher production efficiency for both the metal structural component 13 and the housing 10. Compared to the second example, the parameter settings in the third example further improve the uniformity of the formed dense metal layer 1361, allowing the housing 10 to achieve better refinement and a more premium feel on its surface 141.

[0185] In some embodiments, the friction element 300 can be a friction tool, a metal rod, or a grinding wheel, etc. A friction tool can be understood as a tool whose cutting edge has a flat surface that contacts and rubs against the retaining portion 136. For example, the friction tool can be a milling cutter with a chamfered structure on its cutting edge. The chamfered structure is used to form a flat surface on the cutting edge that contacts the retaining portion 136, so that when the milling cutter rotates, it does not mill the retaining portion 136 through the cutting edge, but instead contacts and rubs against the retaining portion 136 through a flat surface, forming a dense metal layer 1361 on the side of the retaining portion 136 away from the support portion 135.

[0186] By setting the friction element 300 for friction tools, metal rods, grinding wheels, etc., while ensuring that the friction element 300 contacts the enclosure part 136 to form a dense metal layer 1361, the types of friction elements 300 that can be selected are more diversified, so that computer numerical control machine tools can be adapted to different friction elements 300 to manufacture metal structural parts 13.

[0187] The manufacturing method of the housing 10 will be further described below with reference to several specific embodiments.

[0188] Example 1

[0189] The method for manufacturing the housing 10 includes:

[0190] Step S10: Obtain the metal raw material for manufacturing the shell 10. The metal raw material is profile aluminum alloy.

[0191] Step S20: After heating the metal raw material into a liquid, the metal raw material enters the die casting mold 200 through the inlet 210 and flows inside the die casting mold 200. After the metal raw material solidifies and is removed from the die casting mold 200, a die casting blank is obtained. The die casting blank includes a support part 135 and a blocking part 136. The blocking part 136 surrounds the circumferential edge of the support part 135, and the sand hole layer 1362 and the support part 135 together form a cavity 131. The cavity 131 is used to house the electronic module of the electronic device 100. The cavity wall of the cavity 131 has a number of protruding structures 132.

[0192] Step S30: The friction member 300 is brought into contact with the side of the enclosure 136 away from the support 135, and the friction member 300 is controlled to rotate and move relative to the enclosure 136 to squeeze the enclosure 136, so that a dense metal layer 1361 is formed on the side of the enclosure 136 away from the support 135, and a metal structural member 13 is obtained.

[0193] Among them, the rotational speed N of the friction component 300 is 2200 r / min, the moving speed Vr is 80 mm / min, and the extrusion amount Qr is 0.55 mm;

[0194] Step S40: Perform post-processing on the metal die-casting to obtain the shell 10. The post-processing includes:

[0195] The local features of the metal structural component 13 are processed by CNC → an injection molded part is formed by nano-injection molding and the injection molded part is connected to the metal structural component 13 (optional) → a portion of the thickness of the dense metal layer 1361 is removed by CNC precision milling → internal features such as the protrusion structure 132 in the metal structural component 13 are precision milled by CNC → the dense metal layer 1361 is surface treated by anodizing, electrophoresis or spraying to form an appearance decorative layer 14 on the surface of the dense metal layer 1361.

[0196] In this embodiment, the thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361 inside the housing 10 is 0.8 mm. It should be understood that during the manufacturing process, the thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361 may have certain machining tolerances beyond 0.8 mm due to factors such as the machining accuracy of the computer machine tool.

[0197] Example 2

[0198] The method for manufacturing the housing 10 includes:

[0199] Step S10: Obtain the metal raw material for manufacturing the shell 10. The metal raw material is profile aluminum alloy.

[0200] Step S20: After heating the metal raw material into a liquid, the metal raw material enters the die casting mold 200 through the inlet 210 and flows inside the die casting mold 200. After the metal raw material solidifies and is removed from the die casting mold 200, a die casting blank is obtained. The die casting blank includes a support part 135 and a blocking part 136. The blocking part 136 surrounds the circumferential edge of the support part 135, and the sand hole layer 1362 and the support part 135 together form a cavity 131. The cavity 131 is used to house the electronic module of the electronic device 100. The cavity wall of the cavity 131 has a number of protruding structures 132.

[0201] Step S30: The friction member 300 is brought into contact with the side of the enclosure 136 away from the support 135, and the friction member 300 is controlled to rotate and move relative to the enclosure 136 to squeeze the enclosure 136, so that a dense metal layer 1361 is formed on the side of the enclosure 136 away from the support 135, and a metal structural member 13 is obtained.

[0202] Among them, the rotational speed N of the friction component 300 is 4000 r / min, the moving speed Vr is 25 mm / min, and the extrusion amount Qr is 0.35 mm;

[0203] Step S40: Perform post-processing on the metal die-casting to obtain the shell 10. The post-processing includes:

[0204] The local features of the metal structural component 13 are processed by CNC → an injection molded part is formed by nano-injection molding and the injection molded part is connected to the metal structural component 13 (optional) → a portion of the thickness of the dense metal layer 1361 is removed by CNC precision milling → internal features such as the protrusion structure 132 in the metal structural component 13 are precision milled by CNC → the dense metal layer 1361 is surface treated by anodizing, electrophoresis or spraying to form an appearance decorative layer 14 on the surface of the dense metal layer 1361.

[0205] In this embodiment, the thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361 inside the housing 10 is 0.65 mm. Similarly, the thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361 may have certain machining tolerances beyond 0.65 mm due to factors such as the machining precision of the computer machine tool.

[0206] Example 3

[0207] The method for manufacturing the housing 10 includes:

[0208] Step S10: Obtain the metal raw material for manufacturing the shell 10. The metal raw material is profile aluminum alloy.

[0209] Step S20: After heating the metal raw material into a liquid, the metal raw material enters the die casting mold 200 through the inlet 210 and flows inside the die casting mold 200. After the metal raw material solidifies and is removed from the die casting mold 200, a die casting blank is obtained. The die casting blank includes a support part 135 and a blocking part 136. The blocking part 136 surrounds the circumferential edge of the support part 135, and the sand hole layer 1362 and the support part 135 together form a cavity 131. The cavity 131 is used to house the electronic module of the electronic device 100. The cavity wall of the cavity 131 has a number of protruding structures 132.

[0210] Step S30: The friction member 300 is brought into contact with the side of the enclosure 136 away from the support 135, and the friction member 300 is controlled to rotate and move relative to the enclosure 136 to squeeze the enclosure 136, so that a dense metal layer 1361 is formed on the side of the enclosure 136 away from the support 135, and a metal structural member 13 is obtained.

[0211] Among them, the rotational speed N of the friction component 300 is 8000 r / min, the moving speed Vr is 15 mm / min, and the extrusion amount Qr is 0.1 mm;

[0212] Step S40: Perform post-processing on the metal die-casting to obtain the shell 10. The post-processing includes:

[0213] The local features of the metal structural component 13 are processed by CNC → an injection molded part is formed by nano-injection molding and the injection molded part is connected to the metal structural component 13 (optional) → a portion of the thickness of the dense metal layer 1361 is removed by CNC precision milling → internal features such as the protrusion structure 132 in the metal structural component 13 are precision milled by CNC → the dense metal layer 1361 is surface treated by anodizing, electrophoresis or spraying to form an appearance decorative layer 14 on the surface of the dense metal layer 1361.

[0214] In this embodiment, the thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361 inside the housing 10 is 0.45 mm. Similarly, the thickness D of the dense metal layer 1361 may have certain machining tolerances beyond 0.45 mm due to factors such as the machining precision of the computer machine tool.

[0215] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "electrical connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed electrical connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or the internal connection of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0216] The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

Claims

1. A housing, characterized in that, include: A metal structural component, which is a die-cast metal part, includes a support portion and a enclosure portion. The enclosure portion surrounds the circumferential edge of the support portion, and the enclosure portion and the support portion together form a cavity. The cavity is used to house an electronic module of an electronic device, and the cavity wall has a plurality of protruding structures. The enclosure portion has a dense metal layer on the side opposite to the support portion. An exterior decorative layer is disposed on the side of the dense metal layer opposite to the support portion, and the side of the exterior decorative layer opposite to the enclosure portion forms the exterior surface of the shell.

2. The housing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The side of the enclosure portion away from the support portion is the circumferential outer wall of the enclosure portion. The enclosure portion is configured to form the dense metal layer when the circumferential outer wall is pressed into contact with a friction member that rotates and moves relative to the enclosure portion.

3. The housing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The enclosure portion has a perforated layer on one side facing the support portion. The diameter of the perforated holes in the dense metal layer is less than or equal to 0.15 mm, and the diameter of the perforated holes in the perforated layer is greater than 0.15 mm.

4. The housing according to claim 3, characterized in that, The porosity of the dense metal layer is less than that of the sand layer.

5. The housing according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The metal structural component is constructed as a die-cast blank formed after being pressed into contact with a friction component. The die-cast blank is constructed as a metal raw material formed by die casting through a die casting mold. The metal raw material is a magnesium alloy or an aluminum alloy.

6. The housing according to claim 5, characterized in that, The circumferential sidewall of the protruding structure is provided with a demolding angle, which is greater than or equal to 0.5° and less than or equal to 10°.

7. The housing according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The decorative layer includes at least one of anodized film, electrophoretic coating, and spray coating.

8. The method for manufacturing the shell according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The thickness of the dense metal layer is greater than or equal to 0.3 mm and less than or equal to 0.8 mm.

9. A method for manufacturing a shell, characterized in that, A method for manufacturing a housing as described in any one of claims 1-8, comprising: Obtain the metal raw materials for manufacturing the shell; The metal raw material is die-cast to obtain a die-cast blank. The die-cast blank includes a support part and a surrounding part. The surrounding part surrounds the circumferential edge of the support part, and the surrounding part and the support part together form a cavity. The cavity is used to house the electronic module of the electronic device, and the cavity wall has a number of protruding structures. The friction element is brought into contact with the side of the enclosure portion away from the support portion, and the friction element is controlled to rotate and move relative to the enclosure portion to squeeze the enclosure portion, so that a dense metal layer is formed inside the enclosure portion on the side away from the support portion, thereby obtaining a metal structural component. The metal structural component is subjected to post-processing to obtain the housing. The post-processing includes surface treatment of the dense metal layer to form an appearance decorative layer on the surface of the dense metal layer.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The control of the friction element to rotate and move relative to the enclosure includes: While controlling the rotation of the friction element, the friction element is also controlled to move relative to the enclosure part at least along the length, width, and thickness directions of the die-cast blank.

11. The manufacturing method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The control of the friction element to rotate and move relative to the enclosure includes: The friction component is rotated and moved by a computer numerical control machine tool.

12. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 9-11, characterized in that, The rotational speed of the friction element is greater than or equal to 2000 r / min, the moving speed of the friction element is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 100 mm / min, and the amount of pressure between the friction element and the enclosure is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1.0 mm.

13. The manufacturing method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The rotational speed of the friction element is greater than or equal to 2000 r / min and less than or equal to 3000 r / min, the moving speed of the friction element is greater than 50 mm / min and less than or equal to 100 mm / min, and the compression amount between the friction element and the enclosure is greater than 0.5 mm and less than or equal to 1.0 mm.

14. The manufacturing method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The rotational speed of the friction element is greater than 3000 r / min and less than or equal to 5000 r / min, the moving speed of the friction element is greater than 20 mm / min and less than or equal to 50 mm / min, and the compression amount between the friction element and the enclosure is greater than 0.3 mm and less than or equal to 0.5 mm.

15. The manufacturing method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The rotational speed of the friction element is greater than 5000 r / min and less than 40000 r / min, the moving speed of the friction element is greater than 0 mm / min and less than or equal to 20 mm / min, and the compression amount between the friction element and the enclosure is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 0.3 mm.

16. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 9-15, characterized in that, The friction element is a friction tool, a metal rod, or a grinding wheel.

17. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 9-16, characterized in that, The treatment of the enclosure portion on the surface of the dense metal layer includes: The dense metal layer with a portion of its thickness removed.

18. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 9-17, characterized in that, The decorative layer includes at least one of anodized film, electrophoretic coating, and spray coating.

19. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes an electronic module and a housing, wherein the housing is the housing according to any one of claims 1-8, or the housing is manufactured by the manufacturing method according to any one of claims 9-18, and the electronic module is disposed in a cavity within the housing.

Images