Metal Housing with Micro Dimples for Antenna and Appearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Metal housing in electronic devices degrades antenna performance and creates visibility issues between metal and injection parts, leading to non-uniform appearances and potential bonding problems.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing method involving a metal substrate with a non-metallic coating and micro dimples on the lateral face, combined with anodizing and diamond cutting, to create a seamless and visually appealing two-colored texture without additional masking processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a metal housing is manufactured through casting, CNC, extruded molding, rolling, or forging, then the housing provides improved outward appearance and enhanced stiffness, but it causes degradation in performance of an embedded antenna
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two distinct parts: a metal substrate providing structural strength and an injection-molded part providing antenna performance. This segmentation allows each material to perform its optimal function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing combines metal and injection-molded materials into a composite structure. The metal substrate provides stiffness while the injection part, formed with antenna patterns, ensures optimal antenna performance. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between structural requirements and antenna functionality.
2Manufacturing precision
If the metal housing is coated to secure uniformity between metal part and injection part, then uniformity is improved, but the intrinsic texture of metal is removed and it becomes difficult to differentiate the metal part from the injection part
Solution Approach 1:
Different surface treatments are applied to different parts of the housing. The metal part receives a coating for uniformity, while the injection part maintains its original texture. This local differentiation allows uniformity where needed while preserving the ability to distinguish between parts.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of coating the entire housing, only the metal part is coated. This partial action achieves the desired uniformity between parts while leaving the injection part's intrinsic texture exposed, maintaining visual differentiation.
3Shape
If additional members formed of glass or metal are fitted to conceal a boundary between metal part and injection part, then the boundary is concealed, but the thickness of the housing is increased and undesirable bonding issues are caused
Solution Approach 1:
The metal substrate and injection part are merged into a single integrated housing structure through precise molding and bonding. The boundary between parts is concealed through design integration rather than adding separate concealing members, avoiding increased thickness and bonding complications.
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 solution enhances antenna performance, maintains the intrinsic texture of the metal, and achieves uniformity between metal and injection parts, improving the outward appearance of electronic devices without increasing thickness or using additional members.
Implementation Method 1
an anodizing operation for forming an anodized surface on the lateral side of the external housing
Implementation Method 2
a coating operation for coating a non-metallic material on a surface of the base metal having the outward part
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device having a metal housing includes an external housing including a first face facing a first direction, a second face facing a second direction which is the opposite direction of the first direction, and a lateral face at least partially surrounding a space formed between the first and second faces, and a display exposed through the first face of the external housing, wherein the external housing includes a metal substrate having a first part at least partially forming the second face and a second part at least partially forming the lateral face, the second part being integrally extended from the first part; and a non-metallic material coated on the first part, and wherein the second part includes micro dimples having a repeated pattern on the lateral face.