Apple Inc.

Isabel Yang

Todd S Mintz

James A Curran

Christopher D Prest

Brian S Tryon

James A Yurko

Abhijeet Misra

Brian M Gable

Lijie Bao

Jeremy Li

Matthew D Hill

Benjamin J Pope

John J Baker

Adam Thomas Clavelle

Gregory N Stephens

Douglas G Fournier

Michael W Firka

David A Hurrell

Hoishun Li

Lei Gao

Eric W Hamann

Yu Yan

Sherry Lee

Arun R Varma

Yi Chun Chen

Griffin L Schmitt

Anthony D Prescenzi

Robert Hrabchak

Obinna Onyemepu

Chuan Liu

Kar-Wai Hon

James Yurko

Todd Mintz

Brian Gable

An electronic device such as a wristwatch may include a conductive housing. A corrosion-resistant coating may be deposited on the conductive housing. The coating may include transition layers and an uppermost alloy layer. The transition layers may include a chromium seed layer on the conductive housing and a chromium nitride layer on the chromium seed layer. The uppermost alloy layer may include TiCrCN or other alloys and may provide the coating with desired optical reflection and absorption characteristics. The transition layers may include a minimal number of coating defects, thereby eliminating potential sites at which visible defects could form when exposed to salt water. This may allow the electronic device to exhibit a desired color and to be submerged in salt water without producing undesirable visible defects on the conductive housing structures.

Electronic devices having corrosion-resistant coatings

A mobile phone may include an enclosure defining an internal volume, the enclosure including a front cover formed from a transparent material and defining a front exterior surface, a rear cover formed from a glass material and defining a rear exterior surface, and a housing component defining a side exterior surface. The mobile phone may include a circuit board assembly within the internal volume. The circuit board assembly may include a circuit board, a circuit component coupled to an exterior surface of the circuit board, and a cowling coupled to the circuit board and covering the circuit component, the cowling having a thickness less than about 0.5 mm and including a base structure formed from an aluminum alloy having a thickness less than about 0.4 mm and a thermally conductive structure positioned over the base structure and configured to dissipate heat.

Handheld electronic device

An enclosure for an electronic device includes a titanium-aluminum clad substrate and an anodic oxide coating disposed on the titanium-aluminum clad substrate. The anodic oxide coating includes a density of between about 2.1 g/cmand about 2.4 g/cmor includes a maximum porosity between about 21% and about 31% and can be exposed to a temperature of over 150° C. without cracking or crazing.

Anodic oxide coating with high temperature tolerance

A component for an electronic device can include a part including a first metal and a second metal diffusion bonded to the first metal. The first metal can be aluminum and the second metal can be different from the first metal. A porous aluminum oxide layer can overlie a portion of the first metal and can be disposed adjacent to an interface between the first metal and the second metal. The component can further include a non-metallic material bonded to the part and extending into pores defined by the porous aluminum oxide layer.

Non-aqueous aluminum anodizing

A housing for an electronic device can include an exterior titanium portion, an interior metal joined to the exterior titanium portion, the interior metal being a different metal than the exterior titanium portion, and an intermetallic compound having a thickness of less than 1 μm disposed between the interior metal and the exterior titanium portion.

Electronic device including clad components

A 3D printed metallic structure can include an elongated body defining an orifice, the elongated body divisible into a plurality of sectioned elements. The plurality of sectioned elements configured for use a housing or enclosures of electronic devices.

Direct metal deposition of electronic device components

This application relates to a multi-piece enclosure for a portable electronic device. The enclosure includes a metal part including a metal substrate and a metal oxide layer overlaying the metal substrate, the metal oxide layer having an external surface that includes openings that lead into undercut regions. The openings are characterized as having a first width, and the undercut regions are characterized as having a second width that is greater than the first width. The enclosure further includes a non-metallic bulk layer including protruding portions that extend into the undercut regions such that the non-metallic bulk layer is interlocked with the metal part.

Etching for bonding polymer material to anodized metal

This application relates to a part for a portable electronic device. The part includes a titanium alloy substrate including a network of branching channels. The branching channels include a first channel and a second channel, where the first channel is defined by a first channel wall that extends away from a first opening in the exterior surface, and the second channel is defined by a second channel wall that extends away from a second opening in the first channel wall.

Titanium part having an etched surface

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Isabel Yang