PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10935849-B2
Application Number: US-201916536193-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Electronic device displays with laser-welded edges

Abstract:
An electronic device may be provided with a display having substrate layers such as a color filter layer, thin-film transistor layer, or other display layers. An array of pixels may be formed from thin-film circuitry on a display layer. A color filter layer may be formed from an array of color filter elements on a display layer. The color filter elements may provide the array of pixels with the ability to display color images. In a liquid crystal display configuration, a liquid crystal layer may be interposed between the substrate layers. A ring of sealant may surround the liquid crystal layer and may be interposed between the substrate layers. The display may have a periphery. The substrate layers may be welded with a glass weld such as a laser glass weld or other weld on an edge surface of the substrate layers running along the periphery.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device, comprising:
 a first glass layer having a lower surface and a first peripheral edge surface that extends from the lower surface at a non-zero angle; 
 a second glass layer having an upper surface and a second peripheral edge surface that extends from the upper surface at a non-zero angle; 
 an array of organic light-emitting diode pixels interposed between the upper surface and the lower surface; 
 a glass material that is distinct from the first glass layer and the second glass layer; and 
 a weld including at least a portion of each of the first glass layer, the second glass layer, and the glass material and that joins the first glass layer directly to the second glass layer and forms the first and second peripheral edge surfaces. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device defined in  claim 1 , wherein the weld is formed from first and second disjoint segments and wherein the first and second disjoint segments each include a portion of each of the first peripheral edge surface and the second peripheral edge surface. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device defined in  claim 2 , wherein the first and second disjoint segments are separated from each other by a gap at a corner of the first and second glass layers. 
     
     
       4. An electronic device, comprising:
 a first transparent layer having a lower surface and a first edge surface that extends from the lower surface at a non-zero angle; 
 a second transparent layer having an upper surface and a second edge surface that extends from the upper surface at a non-zero angle; 
 an array of organic light-emitting diode pixels interposed between the upper surface and the lower surface; and 
 a weld comprising portions of the first transparent layer, the second transparent layer, and a third layer that is distinct from the first and second transparent layers, wherein the weld forms a portion of each of the first and second edge surfaces and wherein the weld is formed from first and second segments. 
 
     
     
       5. The electronic device defined in  claim 4 , wherein the weld is formed only on corners of the first transparent layer and the second transparent layer. 
     
     
       6. An electronic device having a periphery with an edge surface, comprising:
 display circuitry; 
 a first glass layer having a first surface facing the display circuitry; 
 a second glass layer having a second surface facing the display circuitry; and 
 a glass material that is distinct from the first glass layer and the second glass layer, wherein the glass material is interposed between the first glass layer and the second glass layer to form at least a portion of a glass weld directly on the edge surface, wherein the glass weld extends around at least part of the periphery and joins the first glass layer to the second glass layer, and wherein the glass weld comprises at least a portion of each of the first glass layer, the second glass layer, and the glass material. 
 
     
     
       7. The electronic device defined in  claim 6 , wherein the display circuitry comprises thin-film transistor circuitry. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device defined in  claim 7 , wherein the thin-film transistor circuitry comprises thin-film organic light-emitting diodes. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device defined in  claim 6 , wherein the glass weld comprises first and second individual portions that are separated by a gap, wherein the first and second individual portions each comprise at least a portion of each of the first glass layer, the second glass layer, and the glass material.

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/197,002, filed Jun. 29, 2016, which claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 62/276,736, filed Jan. 8, 2016, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This relates generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, to electronic devices with displays. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices often contain displays. For example, laptop computers, cellular telephones, tablet computers, and desktop computers may contain displays. Displays in these devices may contain substrates formed from transparent materials such as glass. 
     It can be challenging to design a robust display for an electronic device. Electronic devices and displays in electronic devices may be prone to damage when dropped or subjected to other impact events. If care is not taken, display layers may separate from each other and render a display unusable. Protective structures such as thick plastic housings may help protect fragile display structures, but may be bulky and unattractive. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device may be provided with a display having substrate layers such as a color filter layer, thin-film transistor layer, or other display layers. Display layers may be formed from rigid transparent layers of material such as glass, sapphire or other crystalline material, ceramic, rigid plastic, or may be formed from other display layer materials. 
     An array of pixels may be formed from thin-film circuitry on a display layer. The pixels may include light-emitting diodes such as organic light-emitting diodes or may be liquid crystal pixels in a liquid crystal display. In a liquid crystal display configuration, a liquid crystal layer may be interposed between the substrate layers of the display. A ring of sealant may surround the liquid crystal layer and may be interposed between the substrate layers. 
     The display may have a periphery. For example, the display may have a rectangular periphery with four corners or may have other suitable shapes. The substrate layers may be welded together with a glass weld such as a laser glass weld or other weld formed on an edge surface of the substrate layers running along the periphery. The weld may surround the array of pixels in the display, may run along only corner portions of the display, or may have other patterns such as a series of disjoint weld segments. Segmented or continuous weld portions may extend around the corners of a display. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative display such as a liquid crystal display in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative display such as an organic light-emitting diode display in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram of an illustrative system including equipment for forming display and device structures in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram of equipment and operations involved in forming an electronic device having a display with laser-welded edges in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative display having layers that are being laser welded in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of an illustrative display in which a laser welding tool has formed a weld such as a glass weld around the periphery of the display in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of a rounded corner portion of an illustrative display with a corner laser weld in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of a corner portion of an illustrative rectangular display that has straight sides meeting at right angles and that has a corner weld in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of a corner portion of an illustrative display with rounded corners that has been laser welded using bursts of laser light to create disjoint weld segments in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An electronic device may have a display and other electronic components. The display and other component may be mounted in a housing. The display may include one or more layers. The layers in a display may include, for example, glass substrates or other substrates. 
     In some configurations, the layers of a display may be transparent. For example, a display may have an array of pixels and may have one or more transparent substrate layers through which light associated with the pixels may pass as images are viewed by a user. Display layers may be formed from glass, ceramic, sapphire or other crystalline materials, plastic, or other suitable materials. The layers in a display may be formed from rigid materials and/or may include flexible materials. Configurations in which an electronic device is provided with a display having rigid display layers such as transparent glass substrate layers may sometimes be described herein as an example. 
     Adhesive joints between glass layers and display layers may be subject to delamination when device  10  is dropped or otherwise subjected to stress. To help hold the layers of display  14  together, two or more of the display layers may be joined using techniques such as laser welding. In a display with a pair of glass display substrate layers, for example, the peripheral edge of the display glass substrate layers may be welded using a laser glass weld. Joining glass layers or other display layers in this way may strengthen the display and thereby help prevent damage to the display when the display is subjected to stress. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device of the type that may include a display with welded layers. Electronic device  10  may be a computing device such as a laptop computer, a computer monitor containing an embedded computer, a tablet computer, a cellular telephone, a media player, or other handheld or portable electronic device, a smaller device such as a wrist-watch device, a pendant device, a headphone or earpiece device, a device embedded in eyeglasses or other equipment worn on a user&#39;s head, or other wearable or miniature device, a television, a computer display that does not contain an embedded computer, a gaming device, a navigation device, an embedded system such as a system in which electronic equipment with a display is mounted in a kiosk or automobile, equipment that implements the functionality of two or more of these devices, or other electronic equipment. In the illustrative configuration of  FIG. 1 , device  10  is a portable device such as a cellular telephone, media player, tablet computer, or other portable computing device. Other configurations may be used for device  10  if desired. The example of  FIG. 1  is merely illustrative. 
     In the example of  FIG. 1 , device  10  includes display  14 . Display  14  may have an array of pixels  20 . Display  14  may be mounted in housing  12 . Housing  12 , which may sometimes be referred to as an enclosure or case, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of any two or more of these materials. Housing  12  may be formed using a unibody configuration in which some or all of housing  12  is machined or molded as a single structure or may be formed using multiple structures (e.g., an internal frame structure, one or more structures that form exterior housing surfaces, etc.). 
     Display  14  may be a touch screen display that incorporates a layer of conductive capacitive touch sensor electrodes or other touch sensor components (e.g., resistive touch sensor components, acoustic touch sensor components, force-based touch sensor components, light-based touch sensor components, etc.) or may be a display that is not touch-sensitive. Capacitive touch screen electrodes may be formed from an array of indium tin oxide pads or other transparent conductive structures. 
     Pixels  20  in display  14  may be formed from an array of liquid crystal display (LCD) components, an array of electrophoretic pixels, an array of plasma display pixels, an array of organic light-emitting diode pixels, an array of electrowetting pixels, or pixels based on other display technologies. 
     Display  14  may be protected using a display cover layer such as a layer of transparent glass or clear plastic. Openings may be formed in the display cover layer. For example, an opening may be formed in the display cover layer to accommodate a button such as button  16 . An opening may also be formed in the display cover layer to accommodate ports such as speaker port  18 . Openings may be formed in housing  12  to form communications ports, holes for buttons, and other structures. If desired, the outermost layer of display  14  may be a color filter layer, a thin-film transistor layer, a layer that includes both color filter layer structures and thin-film transistor layer structures, or may be another layer of display  14  that does not serve solely as a protective layer. In this type of configuration, the outer display cover layer may be omitted and the protective functions of the display cover layer may be provided by the outermost layer of display  14  while the outermost layer also performs functions such as serving as a substrate for an array of color filter elements, thin-film transistor pixel circuits, touch sensor structures, and/or other structures. 
     A cross-sectional side view of an illustrative configuration for display  14  of device  10  is shown in  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , display  14  may include backlight structures such as backlight unit  42  for producing backlight illumination (backlight)  44 . During operation, backlight  44  travels outwards (vertically upwards in dimension Z in the orientation of  FIG. 2 ) and passes through pixel structures in display layers  46 . This illuminates any images that are being produced by the pixels for viewing by a user. For example, backlight  44  may illuminate images on display layers  46  that are being viewed by viewer  48  in direction  50 . 
     Display layers  46  may be mounted in chassis structures such as a plastic chassis structure and/or a metal chassis structure to form a display module for mounting in housing  12  or display layers  46  may be mounted directly in housing  12  (e.g., by stacking display layers  46  into a recessed portion in housing  12 ). Display layers  46  may form a liquid crystal display or may be used in forming displays of other types. 
     In a configuration in which display layers  46  are used in forming a liquid crystal display, display layers  46  may include a liquid crystal layer such a liquid crystal layer  52 . Liquid crystal layer  52  may be sandwiched between display layers such as display layers  58  and  56 . Layers  58  and  56  may be interposed between lower polarizer layer  60  and upper polarizer layer  54 . 
     Layers  58  and  56  may be formed from transparent substrate layers such as clear layers of glass, plastic, sapphire or other crystalline materials, transparent ceramic materials, or other layers of material. Layers  58  and  56  may be layers such as a thin-film transistor layer and/or a color filter layer. Conductive traces, color filter elements, transistors, and other circuits and structures may be formed on the substrates of layers  58  and  56  (e.g., to form a thin-film transistor layer and/or a color filter layer). Touch sensor electrodes may also be incorporated into layers such as layers  58  and  56  and/or touch sensor electrodes may be formed on other substrates. 
     With one illustrative configuration, layer  58  may be a thin-film transistor layer that includes an array of pixels based on thin-film transistors and associated electrodes (pixel electrodes) for applying electric fields to liquid crystal layer  52  and thereby displaying images on display  14 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , layer  58  may, for example, have a transparent substrate layer (e.g., a glass layer, etc.) such as substrate layer  58 - 1 . A layer of thin-film circuitry such as layer  58 - 2  may be formed on substrate layer  58 - 1 . Layer  56  may be a color filter layer that includes an array of color filter elements for providing display  14  with the ability to display color images. As shown in  FIG. 2 , layer  56  may, for example, have a transparent substrate layer (e.g., a glass layer, etc.) such as substrate layer  56 - 1  that is covered with an array of color filter elements such as color filter element layer  56 - 2 . Layer  56 - 2  may include a black matrix with openings for respective pixels, colored polymer elements or other color filter elements in each of the openings, and a clear overcoat layer or may contain other color filter element structures. 
     If desired, layer  58  may be a color filter layer and layer  56  may be a thin-film transistor layer. Configurations in which color filter elements are combined with thin-film transistor structures on a common substrate layer may also be used. For example, a selected one of layers  56  and  58  may contain thin-film transistor circuitry with electrodes and transistors for controlling electric fields applied to portions of liquid crystal layer  52  and may contain color filter elements, whereas the remaining layer of layers  56  and  58  may be a clear glass layer or other clear substrate. Configurations in which touch sensor structures are formed on layer  56 , layer  58 , and/or other layers in display  14  may also be used. If desired, an electrostatic discharge protection layer such as a blanket film of indium tin oxide or other transparent conductive material may cover the outer surface of display  14 . Functional layers such as antireflection coatings, antiscratch coatings, antismudge coatings, and/or other coating layers may be formed the outer surface of display  14  and/or other surfaces within the layers of display  14 . 
     During operation of display  14  in device  10 , control circuitry (e.g., one or more integrated circuits on a printed circuit) may be used to generate information to be displayed on display  14  (e.g., display data). The information to be displayed on display  14  may be conveyed to a display driver integrated circuit or other display driver circuitry. The display driver circuitry may supply data signals to the array of pixels in display  14  using data lines and may supply control signals (gate line signals) to the array of pixels in display  14  on control lines (gate lines). In response, the array of pixels in display  14  may display images on display  14 . 
     Backlight structures  42 , which may sometimes be referred to as a backlight unit or backlight, may include a light guide layer that is edge lit with light-emitting diodes, a two-dimensional array of light-emitting diodes, or other light source. Light  44  that is produced by backlight structures may propagate outwardly (upwardly in the orientation of  FIG. 2 ) through layers  46  and may serve as backlight  44  for display  14 . 
     If desired, display  14  may have an array of light-emitting diodes. Consider, as an example, display  14  of  FIG. 3 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , display  14  may have layers  56  and  58 . Layer  58  may include a substrate layer such as layer  58 - 1 . Layer  58 - 1  may be a layer of glass, sapphire or other crystalline material, ceramic, plastic, or other substrate layer. Layer  58 - 2  may include thin-film transistor circuitry such as thin-film organic light-emitting diodes (e.g., an array pixels each of which contains a respective organic light-emitting diode), pixel control circuits formed from thin-film transistors and thin-film capacitors, and/or other thin-film structures, may contain an array of crystalline semiconductor light-emitting diode dies, may contain an array of quantum dot light-emitting diodes, or may contain other light-emitting diode structures for forming an array of pixels on layer  58 - 1 . Layer  56  may be a protective clear cover layer, a color filter layer, or other display layer. As with display  14  of  FIG. 2 , the outer surface of layer  56  and/or other display layer surfaces in display  14  of  FIG. 3  may be covered with functional layers such as antiscratch coatings, antismudge layers, antireflection layers, electrostatic discharge protection layers, touch sensor structures, etc. 
     Illustrative equipment for forming electronic devices that include displays such as displays  14  of  FIGS. 2 and 3  and other displays is shown in  FIG. 4 . Equipment  80  may be used in processing display layers for display  14  and/or other components for forming device  10  (shown in  FIG. 4  as display and device structures  86 ). Equipment  80  may be used in forming displays with laser-welded display layers such as glass substrate layers joined with glass welds or other welded display layers. The welded layers may include substrate layers formed from glass, sapphire or other crystalline materials, ceramic, plastic, or other material and may be transparent, opaque, flexible, and/or rigid. Configurations in which equipment  80  is used to perform laser welding on rigid layers of material such as transparent glass layers may sometimes be described herein as an example. 
     Display  14  may contain a liquid crystal layer such as layer  52 . To retain layer  52  within display  14 , a ring of sealant may be formed around the periphery of display  14  between layers  56  and  58 . The sealant may be dispensed by sealant application tool  82 . Tool  82  may contain a computer-controlled positioner that moves a needle dispenser or other structure that dispenses adhesive in liquid form. Tool  82  may, for example, dispense a rectangular ring of adhesive around the rectangular periphery of a rectangular display, may dispense a circular ring of adhesive around the circular peripheral edge of a circular display, may dispense adhesive that runs along the periphery of a display with other shapes, etc. The adhesive may be cured by application of ultraviolet light produced by tool  82  (e.g., when the dispensed sealant is a ultraviolet-light-cured liquid adhesive), may be cured by application of heat, may be a two-part adhesive that cures at room temperature, or may be a thermoplastic adhesive that solidifies upon cooling from a heated molten liquid state. Tool  82  may be based on any suitable sealant dispensing equipment (e.g., an ink-jet dispenser, screen printing equipment, etc.). 
     Edge grinding tool  84  may include a rotating grinding bit or other grinder and a computer-controlled positioner that moves the rotating grinding bit along the periphery of the display layers of display  14 . The grinding bit may have a profile that grinds a desired shape into the edge of the layers of display  14 . Grinding tool  84  may, for example, provide the exposed peripheral edge surface of the layers of display  14  with a beveled profile, a curved profile, a profile with surfaces that meet at right angles, or other desired profile. 
     Etching tool  98  may include a bath of liquid etchant (e.g., a glass etchant such as hydrofluoric acid). Tool  98  may also include equipment for dipping the edges of display  14  into the etchant or for otherwise applying etchant to the edge surfaces of the layers of display  14 . Etching operations performed with tool  98  may remove a thin layer of the glass or other material in the layers of display  14 . This removes microscopic cracks and other damage that might otherwise tend to weaken display  14  and therefore strengthens display  14 . 
     Laser processing tool  88  may include a laser such as laser  92 . Laser  92  may produce laser beam  94 . Laser  92  may be, for example, an infrared laser, a visible light laser, or an ultraviolet light laser. Laser  92  may produce continuous wave output or pulsed output. The wavelength of laser light produced by laser  92  and the intensity of laser light produced by laser  92  are preferably selected so that exposed glass surfaces or other layers of display  14  are locally softened and/or melted sufficiently to form laser welds (e.g., glass welds in scenarios in which the display layers that are being welded together are formed from glass). Tool  88  may include computer-controlled positioning equipment such as computer-controlled positioner  90 . Positioning equipment in tool  88  may move display layers in display  14  and/or laser  92 . For example, positioner  90  may move laser  92  and/or layers in display  14  so that laser  92  travels along the periphery of display  14 . As laser  92  moves along the edge of display  14 , laser light  94  may weld edge portions of the layers in display  14  such as layers  56  and  58  to each other. 
     Following processing using equipment such as tools  82 ,  84 ,  98 , and  88 , assembly equipment  96  may be used to complete assembly of display  14  and to place display  14  and other electrical components in housing  12  to complete assembly of device  10 . Assembly equipment  96  may include computer-controlled equipment and/or manually controlled equipment for placing components in housing  12 . 
     Illustrative equipment and operations for forming an electronic device having display layers that are welded together are shown in  FIG. 5 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , sealant application tool  82  may apply sealant  108  to display layers  100  such as layers  56  and  58 . Sealant application tool  82  may apply sealant  108  along the peripheral edge of layers  100  (e.g., sealant  108  may run along the periphery of layers  100  and may surround a central region that contains a layer of liquid crystal material). If desired, edge grinding tool  84  may be used to grind the peripheral edge surface of layers  100 . Tool  84  may, for example, have a grinding bit with a profile that forms a beveled or curved surface such as ground surface  56 B in layer  56  and a profile that forms a beveled or curved surface such as ground surface  58 B in layer  58 . The ground edge surface of layers  100  may also have a straight vertical orientation that forms a right angle with the planar upper and lower surfaces of layers  100  (as an example). Layers  100  may have a planar shape, may have a convex or concave profile, may have edges that are bent out-of-plane relative to a central planar region, or may have other suitable profiles. The footprint of layers  100  (i.e., the shape of layers  100  when viewed in direction  48  of  FIG. 2 ) may be round, oval, rectangular, or may have other suitable shapes. 
     Following application of sealant  108  to layers  100  to attach layers  100  together and seal liquid crystal material within display  14  and following optional edge shaping operations with an edge shaping tool such as edge grinding tool  84 , laser processing tool  88  may be used to weld layers  100  together. As shown in  FIG. 5 , for example, laser processing tool  88  may apply a beam of laser light to the peripheral edge surface of layers  100  thereby forming a peripheral weld such as weld  110 . Weld  110  may be a portion of molten glass or other material from layers  56  and  58  that runs along the periphery of display  14  and that helps attach layers  56  and  58  together. Welded regions in layers  100  such as weld  110  may help strengthen the bond between layers  56  and  58  that is formed by sealant  108  and may protect sealant  108  and the liquid crystal layer between layers  56  and  58  from intrusion of liquid and other materials. As shown in  FIG. 5 , etching tool  98  may optionally be used to etch edge surfaces  100 ′ of layers  100  following laser welding and/or edge grinding. 
     Assembly equipment  96  may be used to complete the assembly of display  14  and may be used to assemble display  14  and other electrical components into housing  12  to form a completed electronic device (e.g., device  10  of  FIG. 5 ). 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side view of edge surface  100 ′ of layers  100  during laser welding. Layers  100  may include layers such as layers  56  and  58 . Sealant  108  may be used to attach layers  56  and  58  together and may surround liquid crystal layer  52  and pixels  20  that are formed from layer  52  and associated color filter elements, thin-film transistors, electrodes, and other structures on layers  100 . Layers  100  may include thin layers of material (see, e.g., layer  56 - 2  on substrate  56 - 1  in layer  56 ) that may not adhere well to sealant  108  when layers  100  are subjected to a drop event or other source of stress. By laser-welding layers  100  together (e.g., by forming welded region  110  around some or all of the periphery of display  14 ), the strength of display  14  may be enhanced. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , laser  92  may be placed in positions such as position  92 - 1 ,  92 - 2 , and  92 - 3  when applying laser beam  94  to peripheral edge surface  100 ′ of layers  100 . When laser  92  is in position  92 - 1 , the longitudinal axis of beam  94  will extend vertically (perpendicular to surface normal n of surface  100 ′). When laser  92  is in position  92 - 2 , beam  94  will be oriented at a 45° angle or other non-zero angle with respect to surface normal n (e.g., an angle of 0-90°). When laser  92  is in position  94 - 3 , beam  94  will be oriented parallel to the planes of layers  56  and  58  and parallel to surface normal n of edge surface  100 . In general, laser  92  may have any suitable orientation relative to layers  100  and beam  94  may be applied to edge surface  100 ′ of layers  100  at any suitable angle with respect to surface normal n of edge surface  100 ′. Sufficient energy is absorbed from beam  94  to melt portions of layers  56  and/or  58  (and, if desired, portions of a glass frit layer, a glass gasket, or other glass material between the glass of layers  56  and  58 ) and thereby form a welded region such as weld  110 . Weld  110  may be a glass weld or, when layers  56  and  58  are formed from other materials, weld  110  may be formed from portions of these other materials. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , laser  92  may be moved around the entire periphery of layers  100  along peripheral path  120 , thereby creating a weld  110  that extends around the entire periphery of layers  100  (i.e., all of peripheral edge surface  100 ′). If desired, laser welding may be applied to a subset of the peripheral edge of layers  100 . For example, laser welding may be applied only to the corners of layers  100 . 
       FIG. 8  shows how a laser welds may be formed along corners portions  120 P of edge surface  100 ′ at rounded corners  100 R of layers  100  (e.g., on each of the four rounded corners of a rectangular display).  FIG. 9  shows how laser welds may be formed along corner segments  120 Q of edge surface  100 ′ along square corners  100 Q of layers  100  (e.g., on each of the four corners of a rectangular display where the sides of the display meet at right angles). The laser weld segments of  FIGS. 8 and 9  may cover only the corners of display  14  and not the straight sides of display  14  that extend between the corners. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , laser weld  110  may be formed by moving laser  92  along path  120 D while pulsing laser beam  94 . This results in a pattern for laser weld  110  with multiple disjoint segments each of which corresponds to a respective one of path segments  120 D′ of path  120 D. If desired, a segmented laser weld (i.e., a configuration for weld  110  in which weld  110  has multiple disjoint segments running along the peripheral edge of layers  100 ) may extend around the entire periphery of display  14 . The configuration of  FIG. 10  in which segmented laser weld  110  extends only around each corner  100 R of layers  100  is merely illustrative. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20190808
Publication Date: 20210302
Grant Date: 20210302
Priority Date: 20160108
Inventors: GUPTA, NATHAN K.
GAGOV, ATANAS V.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G02F1/133514", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F1/1339", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F2201/503", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F1/1339", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F2201/503", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F2201/503", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F1/1339", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G02F1/133514", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 59275654