Composite Display Housing with Dimpled Fiber Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic devices often face challenges in forming displays with desired attributes, such as thickness and integration with device components, leading to bulky and aesthetically unappealing designs.
Innovation Solution
The use of a display housing with multiple layers, including metal and fiber composite layers, a core layer, and edge members, where the fiber composite layers can be molded into desired shapes and feature arrays of dimples or openings to reduce weight and enhance stiffness, and the incorporation of heat dissipation structures to manage thermal issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If traditional single-layer display housings are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but the housing becomes too thick and bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The display housing is divided into multiple layers including fiber composite layers, metal layers, and core layers. Each layer serves specific functions: fiber composite layers provide structural strength and aesthetic appearance, metal layers provide heat dissipation and grounding, and core layers provide spacing and component mounting. This segmentation enables thin overall thickness while maintaining structural integrity through distributed functionality across layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing uses composite construction combining fiber composite materials (such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic), metal materials (aluminum or stainless steel), and core materials (foam or honeycomb structures). This composite approach allows each material to contribute its superior properties: fiber composites provide high strength-to-weight ratio and thin profile, metals provide thermal management, and cores provide structural support with minimal thickness.
2Weight of moving object
If solid material layers are used throughout the display housing, then structural strength is maintained, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The core layers utilize porous or cellular structures such as foam materials or honeycomb structures. These porous materials provide structural support and rigidity comparable to solid materials but with significantly reduced weight. The cellular geometry distributes mechanical loads effectively while maintaining minimal mass, achieving optimal strength-to-weight ratio for the display housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing design transitions from traditional solid three-dimensional structures to thin two-dimensional layered structures. By distributing structural functions across multiple thin layers rather than using a single thick solid structure, the design achieves reduced weight while maintaining strength through the cumulative effect of multiple layers and their interfacial bonding.
3Strength
If fiber composite layers are molded into complex shapes with dimples, then stiffness and aesthetics are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber composite layers are pre-formed with integrated features such as dimples, recesses, and shaped contours during the molding process itself, rather than adding these features separately afterward. The molding operation simultaneously creates the structural stiffening dimples and the aesthetic surface geometry, consolidating multiple manufacturing steps into one and reducing overall complexity despite the complex final shape.
Solution Approach 2:
The fiber composite layers serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide the primary structural strength and stiffness of the housing, create the aesthetic appearance through molded surface geometry and dimples, and integrate mounting features for display and other components. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate structural, cosmetic, and mounting components, simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
4Temperature
If metal layers are added for heat dissipation, then thermal management is improved, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
Metal layers for heat dissipation are strategically placed only in specific locations where thermal management is needed, such as adjacent to heat-generating electronic components or in regions requiring grounding. The fiber composite layers are used in regions where thermal management is less critical, optimizing the weight-to-thermal-performance ratio by applying metal only where necessary rather than throughout the entire housing structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in thinner, lighter, and more aesthetically pleasing electronic devices with improved integration of displays and components, while effectively managing heat dissipation, thus enhancing both performance and aesthetics.
Implementation Method 1
Heat may be dissipated in a metal display housing layer. A heat spreader or other heat sink structure may be used to help dissipate heat.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device may be provided with a display. The display may be mounted in a display housing having multiple display housing layers. The display housing layers may include metal layers and fiber composite layers. A fiber composite display housing layer may have an array of dimples. The fiber composite display housing layer may be attached to a planar metal layer using adhesive. An array of openings may be formed in the metal layer to lighten the display housing. A foam layer or other core may be sandwiched between display housing layers. Components may be embedded in the foam. Edge members may run along peripheral edges of the display housing layers. Electrical components may be mounted on printed circuits and housed within cavities in the display housing. The electrical components may include light-emitting diodes for a display. Heat from the electrical components may be dissipated in the metal layer.