ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND WEARABLE DEVICE

An electronic device and a wearable device are provided. The electronic device includes a cover plate, a middle frame and a circuit board. The middle frame is provided with a mounting cavity; the middle frame is provided with a mating surface; the middle frame includes an antenna exposed from the mating surface; and the cover plate is stacked on the mating surface and covers the antenna and the mounting cavity. The circuit board is arranged in the mounting cavity and is electrically connected to the antenna. Compared with an antenna in the form of flexible circuit board, the arrangement of the antenna herein can reduce an overall thickness of the electronic device, and can improve the anti-interference and anti-shielding performance of the antenna to enhance the communication performance of the electronic device.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of wearable devices, and in particularly to an electronic device and a wearable device.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

An existing wearable device, such as a smart watch, is generally provided with an antenna for communication, and the antenna is usually implemented in a form of a flexible circuit board. The antenna in the form of a flexible circuit board is stacked with a display module. However, the antenna in the form of a flexible circuit board has a certain thickness, and thus increases an overall thickness of the wearable device, which is not beneficial for the slim and lightweight design of the wearable device.

SUMMARY

In view of the shortcomings of the related art, it is necessary to provide an electronic device and a wearable device.

An electronic device is provided, which may include: a cover plate; a middle frame, provided with a mounting cavity and a mating surface, where the middle frame includes an antenna exposed from the mating surface, where the cover plate is stacked on the mating surface and covers the antenna and the mounting cavity; and a circuit board, arranged in the mounting cavity and electrically connected to the antenna.

Another electronic device is provided, which may include: a display module; a middle frame, including a frame body and a support, where the frame body is provided with a mounting cavity, the support is connected to an end of the frame body and has a mating surface, the display module is stacked on the mating surface and covers the mounting cavity, the support includes an antenna exposed from the mating surface, and the mating surface is protruded with respect to the antenna or flush with a side of the antenna facing towards the display module; and a circuit board, arranged in the mounting cavity and electrically connected to the antenna.

A wearable device is provided, which may include: a strap; and the electronic device, including: a middle frame, provided with a mounting cavity, where the middle frame has a mating surface at an end of the mounting cavity, and the mating surface extends around the mounting cavity; an antenna, arranged on the mating surface and extending around the mounting cavity; and a cover plate, stacked on the mating surface and covering the antenna and the mounting cavity, where the strap is connected to the middle frame and configured to allow the electronic device to be worn onto a wrist of a user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In order to facilitate the understanding of the present disclosure, the present disclosure will be more fully described below with reference to relevant drawings. Even though preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. These described embodiments are provided for a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the present disclosure.

Referring toFIGS.1,2and3, a wearable device10includes an electronic device100and a strap200. The strap200is mounted to the electronic device100and configured to allow the electronic device100to be worn to a wrist of a user. The electronic device100includes a middle frame110and electronic components such as a circuit board120and a battery. The middle frame110is provided with a mounting cavity101. The electronic components such as the circuit board120and the battery are disposed in the mounting cavity101, and the strap200is connected to the middle frame110. In some embodiments, the wearable device10may be a smart watch; and the electronic device100includes a display module130, which covers an end of the mounting cavity101and is connected to the middle frame110, and can be configured to display information and provide an interactive interface for the user. The mounting cavity101can be configured for mounting electronic components such as the battery, the circuit board120, the display module130, and a biosensor. Electronic components such as a processor, a memory unit, and a communication module can be integrated onto circuit board120. The battery can supply power for the circuit board120, the display module130and other electronic components. Further, the electronic device100may include a back cover140, which is disposed at an end of the middle frame110facing away from the display module130and covers another end of the mounting cavity101.

Referring toFIGS.4,5and6, the display module130may further include a display screen131and a cover plate133covering the display screen131. The display screen131may be a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen. The cover plate may be a glass cover plate133or a sapphire cover plate133. The cover plate133is transparent and has a relatively high light transmittance, for example, the light transmittance of the cover plate133is above 80%. The display module130may have a touch function, but the touch function is not essential. The biosensor can be configured to detect biological data such as a heart rate, a respiration rate, a blood pressure, or body fat. In some embodiments, the biosensor may further configured to detect a motion state, such as for step counting. In some embodiments, the wearable device10may be a smart watch or a sports watch, and a common form of the sports watch is an electronic watch. In other embodiments, the wearable device10may be a smart bracelet, and the display module130may be not essential.

The middle frame110is a substantially rectangle. Four corners of the rectangle can be processed by a chamfering process to have circular arcs, such that the wearable device10has a better appearance characteristic. In other embodiments, the middle frame110may be a circular frame in shape. Referring toFIGS.2and3, a side of the middle frame110may be provided with a slot103for installing the strap200. Referring toFIG.1, the strap200is a belt in shape, and can be installed to the middle frame110through the slot103and can form a reliable connection with the middle frame110, so as to reliably wear the electronic device100to an arm of the user. In some embodiments, the strap200can be easily detached from the middle frame110, so that the strap200can be conveniently changed by the user. For example, the user can purchase various styles of straps200, and change the straps200according to usage scenarios to improve the convenience of use. For example, in a formal occasion, the user can use a more formal strap200of the straps200, while in a recreational occasion, the user can use a casual typed strap200. In some embodiments, the strap200is divided into two sections, opposite ends of the electronic device100are respectively provided with the slots103, an end of each of two sections of the strap200is connected to the electronic device100, and ends of the two sections of the strap200facing away from the electronic device100can be buckled to form an accommodation space, the wearable device10can be worn onto the wrist of the user through the strap200. In other embodiments, the strap200can be a one-piece structure, and two ends of the strap200are each connected to the electronic device100. A size of the accommodation space of the strap200can be adjusted by other structures, such as a snap ring, a buckle, an elastic expansion, so as to be convenient for the user to wear.

Further, referring toFIG.3, the middle frame110includes a frame body111, a support113and an antenna115. The support113is connected to an end of the frame body111and forms a mounting cavity101with the frame body111. Referring toFIGS.7and8, the support113is provided with a mating surface113a, and the display module130is stacked on the mating surface113aand covers an end of the mounting cavity101. The antenna115is located on the support113and exposed to the mating surface113a. The circuit board120is electrically connected to the antenna115, and the circuit board120can feed a current into the antenna115. The frame body111may be made of a non-metal material such as plastic, rubber, silica gel, wood, ceramic or glass, or may be made of a metal material such as stainless steel, aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy. Further, the frame body111may be a metal injection molded part, that is, a structural rigidity of the frame body111is ensured by using a metal material thereof, and an inner surface of the frame body111is formed with structures for assembly and positioning such as protrusions, grooves, screw holes by injection molding. It can be understood that the mounting cavity101can also be separately formed by the frame body111, and the support113is not essential, and the antenna115can be directly located onto the frame body111. A material of the back cover140may be the same as that of the frame body111, or may be different from that of the frame body111. For example, the back cover140can be made of a non-metal material such as glass, ceramic or plastic, or the back cover140can also be made of a metal material such as stainless steel or aluminum alloy.

In some embodiments, the support113may be made of a laser direct structuring (LDS) plastic. An antenna receiving slot113band the antenna115are carved by laser on the mating surface113aof the support113, and the antenna115is accommodated in and extends along the antenna receiving slot113b. Specifically, a LDS material contains a metal component and a non-metal component such as a plastic. During the laser carving process, the non-metal component such as the plastic is dissolved and evaporated to form the antenna receiving slot113b, and the metal component of the LDS material is precipitated and deposited in the antenna receiving slot113bto form the antenna115. Since the non-metal material is removed, on a side of the metal antenna115facing towards the display module130, the mating surface113ais protruded with respect to the antenna115or flush with the antenna115. In other words, a height difference exists between the side of the antenna115facing towards the display module130and the mating surface113a, or the side of the antenna115facing towards the display module130is flush with the mating surface113a.

In other embodiments, the support113may be made of other non-metal material such as silica gel or an ordinary plastic. The support113has the mating surface113a, the mating surface113acan be provided with the antenna receiving slot113b, and then the antenna115is located in the antenna receiving slot113b, such that the mating surface113aprotrudes from the antenna or is flush with the antenna115. The antenna115with this structure can reduce an overall thickness of the electronic device100, which is beneficial to the thin and light design of the electronic device100.

During an assembly process of the electronic device100, the mating surface113acan be formed with an adhesive layer by a dispensing process to reliably connect the display module130to the support113. Compared with the antenna in the form of flexible circuit board, the antenna115with the above structure does not increase the overall thickness of the electronic device100, so it is beneficial to the thin and light design of the electronic device100, and further beneficial to the thin and light design of the wearable device.

With respect to the electronic device100, the antenna115is exposed to the mating surface113aof the middle frame110, and the display module130is stacked on the mating surface113aand covers the antenna115and the mounting cavity101, as such, compared with the antenna in the form of the flexible circuit board, the above antenna115can reduce the overall thickness of the electronic device100. For example, the thickness of the antenna115in the form of the flexible circuit board is usually about 0.25 millimeters (mm). Compared with the antenna in the form of flexible circuit board, the overall thickness of the electronic device100of the present disclosure can be reduced by 0.25 mm, which is beneficial to the thin and light design of the electronic device100.

Since the antenna115is formed on the support113, a distance between the antenna115and an outer surface of the display module130is relatively small after the mating surface113ais connected to the display module130. Taking the antenna115as a near field communication (NFC) antenna of the electronic device100as an example, when the outer surfaces of the display modules of the present disclosure and the related art are at the same distance from radio frequency identification (RFID) readers and other devices, the antenna115of the present disclosure can transmit and receive relatively strong signals, and can improve an anti-interference and anti-shielding performance of the antenna115, so as to improve a communication performance of the electronic device100. Further, in other embodiments, the antenna115can be another typed antenna, such as an antenna for transmitting and receiving cellular signals, and the antenna115with the above structure can also improve the communication performance of the electronic device100.

Further, referring toFIGS.7and8, the support113is defined with a groove opening113cof the mounting cavity101. In an embodiment of the present invention, a cross section of the groove opening113cis substantially a rounded rectangle, that is, four corners of the rectangle are formed by arc transition. The support113is enclosed in a circumferential direction of the groove opening113c, and the mating surface113aand the antenna receiving slot113bextend in the circumferential direction of the groove opening113c. Further, in some embodiments, the support113includes a supporting portion1131and a limiting portion1133which are integrally formed, and the mating surface113aand the groove opening113care located on the supporting portion1131, so that a cross section of the support113is substantially L-shaped. On a side of the mating surface113afacing towards the display module130, the limiting portion1133protrudes from the supporting portion1131and extends along an edge of the supporting portion1131to form a circumferentially enclosed structure. Further, referring toFIG.6, the limiting portion1133is arranged surrounding the display module130. The arrangement of the limiting portion1133facilitates the assembly and positioning of the display module130on the support113. For example, after the adhesive layer is formed on the mating surface113a, the display module130is installed onto the support113, such that the limiting portion1133can limit an edge of the display module130, and can improve a sealing performance between the display module130and the support113, thereby improving a waterproof and dustproof performance of the electronic device100. In the embodiment where the mounting cavity101is defined by the frame body111, the groove opening113cof the support113may connect to the mounting cavity101.

Referring toFIGS.7,9and10, in some embodiments, the support113includes a connecting portion1135integrally formed with the supporting portion1131, and the connecting portion1135is protruded into the mounting cavity101. Further, the connecting portion1135is arranged to be protruded from a side wall of the groove opening113c. A side of the connecting portion1135facing away from the display module130is provided with a feeding point1151. The feeding point1151is electrically connected to the circuit board120and configured for feeding a current into the antenna115. In some embodiments, the connecting portion1135and the support113are made of the same material, a LDS plastic. The supporting portion1131and the connecting portion1135are formed with a connecting wire1153, which connects the feeding point1151and the antenna115. The feeding point1151and the connecting wire1153are both formed by the laser carving process, thus simplifying the process of the feeding point1151and the connecting wire1153. Further, referring toFIGS.7and10, the connecting portion1135includes a first surface1135a, a second surface1135b, and an end surface1135cconnected between the first surface1135aand the second surface1135b. The first surface1135afaces towards the display module130, the feeding points1151are exposed to the second surface1135b, and the connecting wire1153extends along the first surface1135aand the end surface1135cto the second surface1135band is configured to conduct the feeding points1151with the antenna115. Further, in some embodiments, a height difference exists between the first surface1135aand the mating surface113a, which can be used to avoid contact between the limiting portion and the display screen131, so as to reduce the overall thickness of the electronic device100.

Further, referring toFIG.6, the circuit board120includes a board body121and a resilient component123for example, a resilient sheet, disposed on the board body121. The resilient component123protrudes from a side of the board body121facing towards the display module130, and the connecting portion1135presses against the resilient component123, and the feeding point1151conducts with the resilient component123. The arrangement of the resilient component123can keep the reliability of the electrical connection between the feeding point1151and the circuit board120, thus ensuring a communication performance of the electronic device100.

Referring toFIG.3, in some embodiments, the board body121is connected to the frame body111with a threaded fastener such as a screw, and the resilient component123is two in number, and the two resilient component123are arranged at intervals on a side of the board body121facing towards the display module130and arranged at an edge of the board body121. The feeding point1151is two in number, and the two feeding points1151are spaced apart and correspond to the two resilient component123by one-to-one correspondence. After the electronic device100is assembled and molded, the connecting portion1135covers the resilient component123, and the feeding points1151press the resilient components123and conduct with the resilient components123, so that the current of the circuit board120can be fed into the antenna115.

In some embodiments, the antenna115is generally annular and distributed on a circumferential edge of the display module130. Furthermore, after the display module130is assembled with the support113, an edge of the cover plate133of the display module130is stacked with the mating surface113a, and the cover plate133covers the antenna115. The display screen131of the display module130is not stacked with the mating surface113a, thus preventing the display screen131from increasing the overall thickness of the electronic device100and weakening a shielding effect of the display screen131on the antenna115. Specifically, referring toFIG.6, a marginal region A1is formed between a circumferential edge of the display screen131and a circumferential edge of the cover plate133, and the marginal region A1covers the antenna115. In other words, taking a geometric plane perpendicular to a thickness direction of the electronic device100as a reference plane, an orthogonal projection of the antenna115on the reference plane is located outside of an orthogonal projection of the display screen131on the reference plane, that is, the orthogonal projection of the antenna115on the reference plane does not overlap with the orthogonal projection of the display screen131on the reference plane, that is, the display screen131does not cover the antenna115in the thickness direction of the electronic device100.

In the above embodiment, since the display screen131does not cover the antenna115in the thickness direction of the electronic device100, there is a relatively small distance between the antenna115and an outer surface of the cover plate133, so that a strength of a signal received or transmitted by the antenna115can be improved, and the communication performance of the electronic device100can be improved. Taking the antenna115as the NFC antenna of the electronic device100as an example, when the outer surfaces of the cover plates of the present disclosure and the related art are at the same distance from RFID readers and other devices, the antenna115of the present disclosure can transmit and receive relatively strong signals, and can improve the anti-interference and anti-shielding performance of the antenna115, so as to enhance the communication performance of the electronic device100.

Further, in other embodiments, in the thickness direction of the electronic device100, the display screen131may cover part or all of the antenna115, however, since the mating surface113aprotrudes from the antenna115or is flush with the side of the antenna115facing towards the display module130, the arrangement of the antenna115can also reduce the overall thickness of the electronic device100, which is beneficial to the thin and light design of the electronic device100.

Referring toFIG.9, in some embodiments, on a side of the supporting portion1131facing away from the mating surface113a, the connecting portion1135protrudes relative to the supporting portion1131. This structural arrangement of the connecting portion1135can be configured for the assembly and positioning of the support113. For example, one of a side of the connecting portion1135facing away from the end surface1135cand a side of the frame body111facing towards the connecting portion1135may be provided with a groove, and the other of the side of the connecting portion1135facing away from the end surface1135cand the side of the frame body111facing towards the connecting portion1135may be provided with a protrusion, so that after the support113is assembled in the frame body111, the groove and the protrusion can be engaged with one another, thereby improving connection reliability of the support113and the frame body111. Referring toFIG.3, for another example, the frame body111is provided with a positioning groove105, the connecting portion1135is accommodated in the positioning groove105, after the support113is assembled in the frame body111, and the positioning groove105can limit the movement of the connecting portion1135, thus bringing out a reliable limiting effect on the connecting portion1135.

Further, it is not essential that the connecting portion1135protrudes from the side of the supporting portion1131facing away from the mating surface113a. For example, the connecting portion1135can be omitted, and the antenna115can be extended to the side of the supporting portion1131facing away from the mating surface113aby the laser carving process, and then can be electrically connected to the circuit board120to feed a current into the antenna115. For another example, the connecting portion1135can be an independent part and fixed to the support113by welding, bonding or screwing, and then the antenna115is electrically connected to the circuit board120through the connecting portion1135.

Further, referring toFIG.6andFIG.3, the frame body111includes an abutting portion1111and a stopping portion1113connected to the abutting portion1111. For example, the abutting portion1111and the stopping portion1113can be integrally formed. The abutting portion1111extends along a circumferential direction of the mounting cavity101and is configured to support the support113. The stopping portion1113protrudes from a side of the abutting portion1111facing towards the display module130and extends along an edge of the abutting portion1111to form a circumferentially enclosed structure. The support113is connected to the abutting portion1111and the stopping portion1113is arranged surrounding the support113. In other words, in an embodiment of the present invention, a part of the frame body111for assembling with the support113is stepped, the support113is arranged at the step and the support113is surrounded by the stopping portion1113. The arrangement of the stopping portion1113facilitates the assembly and positioning of the support113onto the frame body111. For example, the abutting portion1111may be provided with an adhesive layer, and the support113can be fixedly connected to the frame body111through the adhesive layer, so that the frame body111can limit an edge of the support113, thereby improving a sealing performance between the support113and the frame body111, and further improving a waterproof and dustproof performance of the electronic device100.

Further, referring toFIG.6, on a side of the frame body111facing towards the display module130, a tail end of the limiting portion1133is protruded with respect to the stopping portion1113, or the tail end of the limiting portion1133is flush with the stopping portion1113. Furthermore, end surfaces of the limiting portion1133and the stopping portion1113can be treated with to form curved surfaces, so that the end surfaces of the limiting portion1133and the stopping portion1113and a surface of the cover plate133form a continuous curved profile, thereby improving an appearance characteristic of the electronic device100.

Technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are not described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, it should be considered as to be fall with the scope of this specification.

The above-mentioned embodiments are merely several embodiments of the present invention, and descriptions thereof are more specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present disclose. It should be pointed out that, for those skilled in the art, without departing from the concept of the present disclosure, several modifications and improvements can be made, all of which belong to the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure should be subject to the appended claims.