Abstract:
In some examples, a method of forming a housing assembly comprises affixing a support frame onto a first panel cover of the housing assembly, wherein the support frame includes an integrated pattern of channel cavities, positioning a second panel cover of the housing assembly adjacent the support frame, and flowing a bonding material through a plurality of openings of the second panel cover and into the channel cavities of the integrated pattern of the support frame so as to form a secure bond between the first panel cover, the support frame, and the second panel cover of the housing assembly.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/825,046, filed Mar. 19, 2013, which is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCT/US2011/022160, filed Jan. 21, 2011, which are both hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The emergence and popularity of mobile computing has made portable electronic devices, due to their compact design and light weight, a staple in today&#39;s marketplace. Many portable electronic devices such as notebook computers, netbooks, tablet personal computers, and handheld devices employ a casing or housing for protecting critical internal electrical components. However, one main drawback of these portable computers is that due to their size and inherent fragileness, the housing or casings are unable to consistently and effectively withstand rugged transportation conditions or accidental drops by the user. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIGS. 1A and 1B  are three-dimensional perspective views of a portable electronic device implementing the housing assembly in accordance with an example of the present invention. 
           [0004]      FIG. 2  is a three-dimensional exploded view of the housing assembly according to an example of the present invention. 
           [0005]      FIG. 3  is a partial three-dimensional exploded view of the housing assembly according to an example of the present invention. 
           [0006]      FIG. 4A  is a cut-away view of a partially assembled housing assembly, while  FIG. 4B  is a cut-away view of a completely assembled housing assembly according to an example of the present invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 5  is a three-dimensional perspective view of the housing assembly according to an example of the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 6  is flow chart illustrating the manufacturing steps for creating the housing assembly according to an example of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIGS. 7A-7C  are simplified illustrations of the manufacturing process of  FIG. 6  in accordance with an example of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    The following discussion is directed to various embodiments. Although one or more of these embodiments may be discussed in detail, the embodiments disclosed should not be interpreted, or otherwise used, as limiting the scope of the disclosure, including the claims. In addition, one skilled in the art will understand that the following description has broad application, and the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be an example of that embodiment, and not intended to intimate that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment. Furthermore, as used herein, the designators “A”, “B” and “N” particularly with respect to the reference numerals in the drawings, indicate that a number of the particular feature so designated can be included with examples of the present disclosure. The designators can represent the same or different numbers of the particular features. 
         [0011]    The figures herein follow a numbering convention in which the first digit or digits correspond to the drawing figure number and the remaining digits identify an element or component in the drawing. Similar elements or components between different figures may be identified by the user of similar digits. For example,  143  may reference element “ 43 ” in  FIG. 1 , and a similar element may be referenced as  243  in  FIG. 2 . Elements shown in the various figures herein can be added, exchanged, and/or eliminated so as to provide a number of additional examples of the present disclosure. In addition, the proportion and the relative scale of the elements provided in the figures are intended to illustrate the examples of the present disclosure, and should not be taken in a limiting sense. 
         [0012]    Prior solutions to the aforementioned problem utilize a single cover panel formed with a thin plastic backing plate for providing rigidity. Without a second metal cover, however, the plastic backing plate has a tendency to deform under a heavy load. As a result, there is a need for a more robust and durable panel housing assembly. 
         [0013]    Examples of the present invention disclose a molding process for creating a complex structural sandwich assembly for a panel cover or other housing part. According to one example, two thin metal covers are spaced apart by a lightweight plastic lattice that holds the two metal covers parallel to each other. More particularly, the molding process of the present examples combines two methods with four integral steps into one operation to produce a finished assembly without any additional molding operations. Stated differently, the process needed to create the housing assembly in accordance with examples of the present invention is completed within one molding cycle. This method of construction creates a very strong and lightweight panel cover assembly that can withstand very high stresses and is ideal for ruggedized notebooks. 
         [0014]    Referring now in more detail to the drawings in which like numerals identify corresponding parts throughout the views,  FIGS. 1A and 1B  are three-dimensional perspective views of a portable electronic device implementing the housing assembly in accordance with an example of the present invention. As shown here, a notebook computer  100  represents the mobile electronic device and includes an upper housing  105  and a base housing  110 . The upper housing, or display panel housing  105 , includes a display device  107  having electrical wiring adapted to provide graphical display to a user on its front surface side  104 . Furthermore, the base housing  110  includes a top surface side  111  having user input mechanisms such as a keyboard  106  and touch pad  108 . According to the present example, a panel housing assembly  102  is formed on a rear side  114  opposite the front surface side  104  of the display panel  105 . The panel housing assembly  102  including fixing mechanisms for securely attaching onto the rear side  114  of the display panel  105 . 
         [0015]      FIG. 1B  is a three-dimensional view of the portable computer in a closed position. As shown here, the base housing  110  and display panel housing  105  are in a closed position in which the display panel housing  105  is vertically-adjacent and substantially aligned with the base housing  110 . In particular, the front surface side  104  of the display panel housing  105  covers the front surface side  111  of the base housing  110  including the keyboard  106  and touchpad  108  areas. According to one example, the panel housing assembly  102  is formed on a rear surface side  114  (i.e. side opposite the front surface side  104  shown in  FIG. 1A ) of the display housing  105 . Moreover, a lattice support frame  113  is formed within the panel assembly housing  102  as will be described in further detail with respect to  FIGS. 2-5 . 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a three-dimensional exploded view of the housing assembly according to an example of the present invention. In the following example, the panel housing assembly includes four layers including an outer panel cover  207 , a lattice support frame  213 , bonding material  215 , and an inner panel cover  225 . Both the outer panel cover  207  and the inner panel cover  225  may be formed of a rigid material such as metal or glass for example. According to one example, the outer panel cover  207  is formed to be thicker is size than the inner panel cover  225 . Furthermore, the inner panel cover  225  includes a plurality of small openings or apertures  222   a - 222   c  for insertion of the bonding material  215  as will be described in detail below. According to one example, the lattice support frame  213  may be formed of a polymer material having high molecular mass such as plastic or rubber for example. Furthermore, the support frame  213  includes a plurality of runners and channels so as to form a lattice, or criss-crossed patterned, support structure with an inner pattern cavity  316  similar to an I-beam support structure. 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a partial three-dimensional exploded view of the housing assembly according to an example of the present invention. As in the previous example, the panel assembly  302  includes an outer panel cover  307 , lattice support frame  313 , bonding material  315 , and inner panel cover  325 . The lattice support frame  313  is formed of a sufficient size to fit firmly within the outer panel cover  307  as indicated by the directional arrow  330 . The pattern of bonding material  315  is formed through insertion of the bonding material through the openings  322  (corresponding to protrusion  320  and directional arrow  334 ) of the inner panel cover  325  such that the bonding material  315  flows through the runners and channels of the support frame  313 . That is, the bonding material  315  is formed and positioned within the pattern cavity  316  of the support frame  313  as indicated by directional arrow  332 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 4A  is a cut-away view of a partially assembled housing assembly, while  FIG. 4B  is a cut-away view of a completely assembled housing assembly according to an example of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 4A , a first integrated assembly operation includes positioning of the lattice support frame  413  within the outer panel cover  407  so as to form a first assembly portion  401 . The lattice support frame  413  includes a plurality of parallel vertical runners  408   a - 408   c  and a plurality of parallel horizontal channels  409   a - 409   c  that intersect at a plurality of intersection points  411   a - 411   c  thus forming a grid-type pattern as shown in  FIG. 4A . Furthermore, both the plurality of runners  408   a - 408   c  and the plurality of channels  409   a - 409   c  are formed with an inner depth or hollow area (i.e. pattern cavity) for receiving the bonding material as will be described in further detail with reference to the second assembly operation of  FIG. 4B . 
         [0019]    Referring now to  FIG. 4B , a second assembly operation is performed so as to create a completed panel housing assembly  402 . More specifically, the inner panel cover  425  is positioned adjacent to the support frame  413  and the outer panel cover  407  such that the plurality of apertures  422   a - 422   c  align with the integrated pattern (i.e. channels/runners) of the support frame  413 . Once the inner panel cover is properly positioned and aligned, the bonding material  415  is reverse injected through the plurality of apertures  422   a - 422   c  of the inner panel cover so as to flow through/into the plurality of vertical runners  408   a - 408   c  and the plurality of horizontal channels  409   a - 409   c  of the support frame  413 . As a result, the bonding material  415  creates an adhesive bond with the outer panel cover  407  and the support frame  413  in addition to the inner panel cover  425  through which it was injected. Accordingly, the completed molding process provides a durable and structural sandwich-type housing assembly. 
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a three-dimensional perspective view of the housing assembly according to an example of the present invention. As shown here, the housing assembly  502  includes an outer panel cover  507  adjacent to and affixed to an inner panel cover  525 . As described above, the inner panel cover  525  includes a plurality of small openings  522   a - 522   d  for insertion of bonding material utilized to form a secure bond for all three layers (i.e. outer panel, inner panel, and support frame) of the housing assembly. 
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is flow chart illustrating the manufacturing steps for creating the housing assembly, while  FIGS. 7A-7C  are illustrations of the manufacturing process outlined in  FIG. 6  according to an example of the present invention. In step  642 , the outer panel cover ( 707 ) is positioned within a cavity side ( 755 ) of a molding tool ( 752 ) as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art. Next, in step  644  the outer panel cover ( 707 ) is then co-molded with the plastic lattice support frame ( 713 ), which may be formed on a first core side ( 757   a ) of the molding tool ( 752 ). More particularly and as indicated by the directional arrow shown in  FIG. 7A , the cavity side ( 755 ) of the molding tool ( 752 ) is pressed against the first core side ( 757   a ) of the molding tool. Accordingly, a first integrated assembled portion ( 701  in  FIG. 7B ) including the metal panel cover ( 707 ) and the plastic lattice support frame ( 713 ) is formed in the molding tool ( 752 ). According to one embodiment, the cavity side ( 755 ) of the molding tool ( 752 ) is then pulled back from the first core side ( 757   a ) and rotated  180 ° so that the cavity side ( 755 ) now lines up with a second core side ( 757   b ) that contains the metal inner panel cover ( 725 ) inserted therein. In step  646 , the molding tool ( 752 ) is then closed together (as indicated by the directional arrow shown in  FIG. 7B ) so as to position the previously molded integrated assembly portion ( 701 ) adjacent to the inner panel cover ( 725 ). According to one example, the plurality of openings of the inner panel cover should be in alignment with the intersections (channels/runners) associated with the integrated pattern of the support frame. Thereafter, in step  648 , bonding material ( 715 ) is flowed through the openings of the inner panel cover ( 713 ) and into runners and channels of the lattice support frame as described above. The bonding material ( 715 ) bonds together both metal panel covers ( 707 ,  725 ) and the plastic structural lattice support frame ( 713 ). In step  650 , the completed housing assembly is then removed from the molding tool. 
         [0022]    Many advantages are afforded by the housing assembly formed in accordance with examples of the present invention. For instance, the method of formation outlined above allows for a very rigid and lightweight housing assembly. Moreover, the housing assembly of the present examples allows for creation of an inexpensive and complex sandwich assembly thus reducing production costs. Still further, the lattice features of the support frame can be placed very close to each other so that the panel cover can be formed very thin in order to hide any signs of deforming or denting thereon, and thereby further reducing the weight of the housing assembly. 
         [0023]    Furthermore, while the invention has been described with respect to exemplary embodiments, one skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications are possible. For example, although exemplary embodiments depict a notebook computer as the portable electronic device, the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the portable electronic device may be a netbook, a tablet personal computer, a cell phone, or any other electronic device having a casing or housing assembly utilized for protection of internal electrical components. 
         [0024]    Furthermore, the support frame may be formed of any type of geometric pattern that provides support for the outer and inner panel covers. For example, the support frame may be formed in a cross-weave or circular pattern. Thus, although the invention has been described with respect to exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.