Variable Thickness Transparent Cover for Narrow Border Electronic Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional glass covers in electronic devices have a larger radius of curvature, resulting in a thicker border and reduced space utilization due to uniform thickness and curvature, making it challenging to design devices with narrow borders and increased space efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a transparent cover with a flat portion and a connecting portion of varying thickness, where the connecting portion curvingly extends from the side of the flat portion and includes bonding surfaces, allowing for a reduced bonding area and increased curvature, thereby achieving a narrower border and enhanced space utilization. This is achieved through the use of a middle frame that assembles the transparent covers with different thicknesses and curvatures, optimizing the assembly process with adhesive layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a glass cover with uniform thickness and conventional thermoforming process is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the border width is large and space utilization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The glass cover is designed with non-uniform thickness distribution, where the central region has a first thickness and the peripheral region has a second thickness different from the first. This local variation in thickness allows the peripheral bonding area to be reduced while maintaining structural integrity, thereby reducing border width without compromising manufacturing feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional uniform thickness design to a three-dimensional variable thickness design. By introducing thickness as a varying parameter across different regions of the glass cover, the patent achieves reduced border width while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through controlled thermal processing
2Ease of manufacture
If the glass cover has a larger radius of curvature, then the manufacturing process is easier, but the border width increases and space utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the glass cover are assigned different radius of curvature values. The central region maintains a larger radius for manufacturing ease, while the peripheral region has a smaller radius that reduces the bonding area and border width, optimizing both manufacturability and space utilization
Solution Approach 2:
The glass cover is segmented into distinct regions (central region and peripheral region) with different geometric properties. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized independently - the central region for manufacturing ease and the peripheral region for reduced border width
3Length of stationary object
If the thickness of the glass cover is reduced to narrow the border, then the space utilization increases, but the bonding strength and structural integrity are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The glass cover employs spatially varying thickness where the peripheral region has reduced thickness to minimize border width, while the central region maintains sufficient thickness for structural strength. This local differentiation allows border narrowing without compromising overall structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure within the glass cover by combining regions of different thicknesses and curvatures. This internal composite design enables the peripheral areas to be thin for space optimization while central areas remain thick for strength, achieving both narrow borders and adequate bonding strength
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device including a housing, a display component and an electronic component is provided. The housing includes a transparent cover and a middle frame, and the transparent cover is assembled to the middle frame. The display component is disposed in the housing. The electronic component is disposed in the housing, wherein the transparent cover has a flat portion and a connecting portion. The connecting portion curvingly extends from a side of the flat portion and includes at least one bonding surface, and a thickness of the flat portion is different from a thickness of the connecting portion.