Apple Inc.

Srikanth Kamireddi

Palaniappan Chinnakaruppan

Erik G De Jong

Dale N Memering

Jing Jing Zhang

Sawako Kamei

Jeffrey C Mylvaganam

Feng Min

Xiang Du

Sai Feng Liu

Xiao Bing Cai

Jong Kong Lee

Alexander M Hoffman

A cover for an electronic device and methods of forming a cover is disclosed. The electronic device may include a housing, and a cover coupled to the housing. The cover may have an inner surface having at least one of an intermediate polish and a final polish, a groove formed on the inner surface, and an outer surface positioned opposite the inner surface. The outer surface may have at least one of the intermediate polish and the final polish. The cover may also have a rounded perimeter portion formed between the inner surface and the outer surface. The rounded perimeter portion may be positioned adjacent the groove. The method for forming the cover may include performing a first polishing process on the sapphire component using a polishing tool, and performing a second polishing process on the groove of the sapphire component forming the cover using blasting media.

Sapphire cover for electronic devices

Ultrasonic polishing systems and methods of polishing brittle components for electronic devices using ultrasonic polishing systems are disclosed. The ultrasonic polishing system may include an ultrasonic driver and a polishing head operatively coupled to the ultrasonic driver. The ultrasonic drive may have a surface shape that corresponds to a non-planar feature formed in the brittle component. The ultrasonic polishing system may also include an abrasive slurry configured to be disposed between the non-planar feature of the brittle component and the polishing head. The ultrasonic driver may be configured to displace the polishing head toward and away from the non-planar feature formed in the brittle component.

Ultrasonic polishing systems and methods of polishing brittle components for electronic devices

A ceramic component and methods for making a ceramic component are disclosed. In particular, a sapphire component may be polished by positioning a compliant pad adjacent to a surface of the sapphire component. An abrasive slurry may be disposed or introduced between the compliant pad and the surface. The compliant pad may be moved with respect to the surface to produce a polished surface. The abrasive slurry may include a liquid component having a high pH level and medium-sized abrasive particulates.

Polishing a ceramic component using a formulated slurry

A polishing system and method for polishing a channel formed within a component is disclosed. The polishing system may include a tooling element operable to be positioned within a recess formed partially through a component. The tooling element may include an outer surface having a geometry corresponding to a geometry of the recess formed in the component. The tooling element forms a channel between the recess of the component and the tooling element when positioned in the recess. The system may also include a first member in fluid communication with a first opening of the channel, and a second member in fluid communication with a second opening of the channel. The second opening may be in fluid communication with the first opening via the channel. Additionally, the first and second member may be configured to continuously vary a pressure within the channel to move an abrasive slurry within the channel.

Polishing features formed in components

Growing community of inventors

Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Srikanth Kamireddi