COMPUTING DEVICE COVER

Techniques for forming portions of a computing device are described herein. The techniques include a method including forming a first portion of a computing device, the first portion composed of a metal. A nanostructure layer of the first portion is formed, and a second portion of the computing device is formed, wherein the second portion composed of a polymer. The method includes coupling the first portion to the second portion by injection molding the polymer of the second portion onto the nanostructure layer.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to techniques for forming portions of a computing device. More specifically, the disclosure describes techniques for increasing platform stiffness using a support structure molded to a back cover of the computing device.

BACKGROUND

With the fast growth of computing devices, lighter, thinner computing devices are increasingly preferred by users. Platform stiffness may affect usability, reliability, and perceived quality while also preventing stress of various components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to techniques for increasing platform stiffness. A computing device may be configured having portions, such as a bottom cover. A nanostructured layer may be applied to an interior side of the cover. For example, the nanostructured layer may be applied to the interior side of the cover using a thermoset thermoplastic adhesive primer. Method and systems described herein relate to coupling a support structure to the cover by injection molding the support structure to the nanostructure layer.

FIG. 1is a perspective view of a support structure to be coupled to a cover of a computing device. The computing device (not shown) may be laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet computing device, a mobile computing device, an all-in-one (AIO) computing device, a smart phone computing device, and the like. The cover102may be a bottom cover of the computing device configured to receive a support structure104as indicated by the arrow106. The cover102may be a monolithic clad metal component having a nanostructure oxide layer applied to the cover102. The nanostructure oxide layer may be configured to receive the support structure104by injection molding described in more detail below.

The support structure104may be configured as a grid structure having stiffening ribs108, such as an isotropic grid (isogrid) having stiffening ribs in a triangular pattern as illustrated inFIG. 1. Although illustrated inFIG. 1as having a triangular pattern, other patterns such as ax hex cell patterns, circle patterns, square patterns may be used. In embodiments, the stiffening ribs may be perturbed such that the support structure104may accommodate additional components of a computing device as discussed in more detail below. The support structure104may be composed of a polymer suitable for injection molding onto the nanostructure layer. Suitable polymers may include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polydioxanone (PDO), nylon, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and the like. In embodiments, the polymer of the support structure104may incorporate strengthening material such as glass, aramid, carbon, polymer fibers of relatively high glass transition temperature (Tg) in relation to the polymer used to form the support structure104.

An increase in stiffness of the cover102may be a function of the thickness of the cover102. The support structure104being coupled to the cover102may increase stiffness of the cover102, without necessarily increasing the thickness of the cover102. An increase in cover stiffness may result in relatively higher performance of components of the computing device, reliability, and perceived quality.

FIG. 2is a perspective view of an exterior side of a bottom cover. The bottom cover202may be formed as a monolithic metal clad cover. In embodiments, the cover202is composed of a metal, such as aluminum, suitable for receiving a nanostructured oxide. In other embodiments, the cover202is composed of a non-aluminum metal such as stainless steel, titanium, or other metal configured to receive the nanostructured oxide layer using a thermoset thermoplastic adhesive primer.

FIG. 3is a top view of an interior side of the bottom cover formed with integration features. The integration features302are configured to receive components (not shown) of the computing device such as a processor, memory units, storage units, network interfaces, and the like. In embodiments, the integration features302may be coupled to the interior side of the bottom cover202by injection molding. For example, the integration features302may be composed of a polymer, similar to the polymer of the support structure104discussed above in reference toFIG. 1. The integration features302may be injection molded onto the nanostructure oxide layer discussed in more detail below in reference toFIG. 4. In embodiments, the integration features302and the support structure104may be simultaneously coupled to the bottom cover202by injection molding onto the nanostructure oxide layer.

FIG. 4is a cross-sectional view of the nanostructure layer. As illustrated inFIG. 4, the nanostructure oxide layer400defines pores402. The pores402may be configured to at least partially receive the polymer of the support structure104discussed above in reference toFIG. 1, the polymer of the integration features302discussed above in reference toFIG. 3, or any combination of the polymers of the support structure104and the integration features302.

In embodiments, the nanostructured oxide layer400may be formed by growing an oxide in an anodic process. Specific geometries of the pores402in the nanostructured oxide layer400are achieved as desired by variation of an electrolyte pH and an anodic voltage. Variations of these processes are capable of producing a range of ordered nanostructured pores, such as the pores402, having a range of pore diameters (such as 5 nm to 10 um). In embodiments, the nanostructured oxide layer400may be formed on a relatively thin and pure (99.99% +) aluminum face of the aluminum sheet which is cladded to a base aluminum alloy of the cover202discussed above. In other embodiments, the nanostructured oxide layer400may be formed directly on lower purity forms of aluminum (99%) using differing techniques and different combinations of pH, acid type, molarity, and anodic voltage to control nucleation sites. Other commercially available techniques beyond the techniques described above of forming a nanostructured oxide to a metal may be used.

In embodiments, the pores402are configured to have a height to enable for adequate adhesion with the polymer of the support structure104discussed above in reference toFIG. 1. In embodiments, the height of the pores402is proportional to the anodic voltage used in forming the nanostructure oxide layer400, wherein increases in anodic voltage is proportional to an increase in the height of the pores402. The height of the pores402may be configured such that a surface area of the polymer of the support structure104may be received within the pores402, thereby coupling the support structure104to the cover202discussed above in reference toFIGS. 1,2, and3.

FIG. 5is a top view of the cover formed with a support structure. As illustrated inFIG. 5, the support structure104may be comprised of stiffening components such as stiffening ribs. The support structure104, being composed of a polymer, may be coupled to the nanostructured oxide layer400discussed above in reference toFIG. 4. AlthoughFIG. 5illustrates a support structure104having triangular stiffening ribs, the stiffening ribs may be formed in various shapes, including circular, semi-circular, rectangular, hexagonal, honeycomb, and the like. The stiffening provided by the support structure may increase the overall stiffness of the bottom cover202, without increasing the amount of metal used to form the bottom cover202.

FIG. 6is a perspective view of a portion of the support structure defining holes in the support structure. In embodiments, the support structure104may define a hole602configured to receive a fastener (not shown). The support structure104may be configured to enable components to be coupled to the support structure. For example, the support structure may be configured to receive components such as processing devices, memory devices, network interfaces, and the like. In embodiments, the height of the support structure104extending normal to the bottom cover202may be uniform across the support structure104. In embodiments, the height of the support structure104may be varied such that a given component of the computing device may be received into a relatively low portion of the support structure104in relation to relatively higher portions of the support structure104. For example, the height of the support structure104may be relatively low at one portion of the support structure configured to receive a component, such as a processing device. Thus, the support structure104may be configured to increase stiffness while enabling relatively thin computing device platforms to be formed by receiving components of the computing device into recesses of the support structure104created by varying heights of the support structure104.

FIG. 7is a block diagram illustrating a method of forming a cover having a support structure. At block702, a first portion of a computing device is formed. The first portion may be a cover composed of clad metal, such as the bottom cover202of a computing device as discussed above in reference toFIG. 2. A nanostructure layer may be formed at block704. The nanostructure layer may be a nanostructure oxide applied to an interior surface of the bottom cover as discussed above. The nanostructure layer is configured to receive a polymer of a second portion of a computing device, such as support structure104discussed above in reference toFIG. 1. At block706, the second is formed by injection molding. The second portion may be a support structure, such as the support structure104discussed in reference toFIGS. 1-6, and may be composed of a polymer. The polymer may flow into pores of the nanostructured oxide layer during the injection molding process, thereby coupling the polymer, the nanostructured oxide layer, and the bottom cover together.

For example, the injection molding at block706includes pressure forcing a molding compound including a low viscosity polymer of the support structure104into the pores of the nanostructured oxide layer. The first portion, such as the metal bottom cover202of the computing device, is placed in the mold with the nanostructured oxide layer applied to the cover at block704facing mold gates. When the mold gates release the molding compound composed of the low viscosity polymer the nanostructure oxide layer receives the molding compound into the pores of the nanostructured oxide layer. The injection molding of the polymer of the second portion enables the polymer to flow into pores of the nanostructure oxide, thereby coupling the first portion to the second portion by mechanical lock.

In embodiments, the method700may include forming integration features, such as the integration features302discussed above in reference toFIG. 3. The integration features may be simultaneously injection molded onto the nanostructured oxide layer along with the support structure. The simultaneous injection molding may couple both the support structure and the integration features in one step, reducing overall production time.

In embodiments, the integration features include features to assemble other structural parts of a chassis, such as a top cover of the computing device. In embodiments, the integrations features include “cradles” configured to fasten computing device components (for instance a hard drive disk, a fan, a thermal solution, and the like) within a computing device chassis. The integration features may result in reduced component requirements of a computing device such back plane stiffeners of the liquid crystal display modules, and the like.

A method of forming covers of a computing device is described herein. The method may include forming a first portion of a computing device, the first portion comprising a metal. The first portion may be a covering means, such as a bottom cover formed of clad metal. In some embodiments, a covering means may include a metal clad aluminum bottom cover of a computing device. A nanostructure layer may be formed on the first portion. The nanostructure layer may be a nanostructure oxide having pores. A second portion of the computing device may be formed by injection molding means. The second portion may be a means for providing support, such as a support structure including an isogrid. The injection molding means may include a mold configured to receive the material of the second portion. The second portion may be composed of a polymer, and the polymer may be received at nanostructure layer and into the pores of the nanostructure layer such that the first portion is coupled to the second portion.

An apparatus may include a first portion of a computing device, the first portion composed of a metal. In embodiments, the first portion may be a bottom cover of the computing device, wherein the bottom is composed of a monolithic metal clad material. The bottom cover may have an interior side and a nanostructure layer applied to the first portion at the interior side. The computing device may include a support structure, wherein a second portion of the computing device comprising a polymer is coupled to the first portion by injection molding the second portion onto the nanostructured layer such that the polymer is received at pores of the nanostructure layer.

A computing device is described herein. The computing device may include a covering means of a computing device, the covering means may be a bottom cover composed of metal. In some examples, the bottom cover is composed of a monolithic clad metal. The covering means may have an exterior side configured to face outward, and an interior side configured to face inward towards other components of the computing device. The computing device may include a nanostructure layer means applied to the covering means. The nanostructured layer may be a nanostructured oxide layer having pores. The computing device may include a support structure means. The support structure means may be composed of a polymer. The wherein the covering means is coupled to the support structure means by injection molding the polymer of the support structure onto the nanostructure layer means. Specifically, the polymer may be received into the pores of the nanostructured oxide creating a mechanical coupling of the covering means to the support structure means.