Systems and methods for overmolding on electronic device surfaces
An electronic device includes a display with a glass planar portion and a second material position at an outer edge of the glass planar portion. The glass planar portion defines a majority of a display surface of the display, and the second material is molded to the outer edge of the glass planar portion and defines at least part of a border portion. The second material is curved in a direction perpendicular to the display surface. The second material is composed of a first plurality of segments and a second plurality of segments. Each segment of the second plurality of segments is interposed between adjacent segments of the first plurality of segments, and the first plurality of segments interlock with the second plurality of segments.
1. An electronic device comprising:
a display including a glass planar portion including a first material, and a border portion comprised of at least two moldable materials positioned at an outer edge of the glass planar portion, wherein:
the glass planar portion defines a majority of a display surface, and
the border portion has been molded to the outer edge of the glass planar portion and at least part of the border portion being curved in a direction perpendicular to the display surface,
wherein the border portion is composed of a first plurality of segments each of a second material different from the first material and a second plurality of segments each of a third material different from the first and second materials, and wherein each segment of the second plurality of segments is interposed between adjacent segments of the first plurality of segments, and wherein the first plurality of segments interlock with the second plurality of segments.
2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each segment of the first plurality of segments and the second plurality of segments includes one or more interlocking features to facilitate the first plurality of segments interlocking with the second plurality of segments.
3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display.
4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein a touch-sensitive region of the touch-sensitive display includes at least part of the border portion.
5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a physical button is located in the border portion or: wherein at least one segment of the first plurality of segments of the second material is coupled to electronic circuitry of the electronic device and configured to provide physical button functionality.
6. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a radio frequency (RF) antenna, wherein at least one segment of the first plurality of segments of the second material is a radiotransparent segment and wherein the RF antenna is located proximate the radiotransparent segment.
7. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a housing, wherein the border portion connects the glass planar portion to the housing.
8. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display.
9. A method of manufacturing the electronic device of claim 1 , the method comprising:
obtaining the glass planar portion;
molding the first plurality of segments to the outer edge of the glass planar portion; and
after molding the first plurality of segments, molding the second plurality of segments to the outer edge.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein molding the first plurality of segments includes molding the first plurality of segments at a first temperature, and the method further comprises, before molding the second plurality of segments, allowing the first plurality of segments to cool to a second temperature, wherein the first plurality of segments contracts when cooling to the second temperature, and wherein the segments of the second plurality of segments are sized to interlock with the first plurality of segments after the contraction.
11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising priming the outer edge of the glass planar portion before molding the first plurality of segments.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising preparing a lateral edge of the first plurality of segments before molding the second plurality of segments, wherein the lateral edges of the first plurality of segments are the edges that are for directly connecting with corresponding edges on the second plurality of segments.
13. An electronic device body panel comprising:
a planar body panel portion including a first material, wherein the planar body panel portion has an outer edge, and
a segmented border portion including a second material different from the first material and molded to the planar body panel portion along at least part of the outer edge of the planar body panel portion, wherein the segmented border portion includes:
a first plurality of segments directly connected to the outer edge, and
a second plurality of segments directly connected to the outer edge,
wherein:
each segment of the second plurality of segments is interposed between segments of said first plurality of segments connected to the outer edge;
each segment of the second plurality of segments meets an adjacent segment of the first plurality of segments at a corresponding seam; and
at least one segment of the segmented border portion has a different composition than the other segments of the segmented border portion.
14. The body panel of claim 13 wherein the first plurality of segments interlock with the second plurality of segments.
15. The body panel of claim 13 , wherein the first material is glass.
16. The body panel of claim 13 , wherein the second material is a polymer.
17. The body panel of claim 13 , wherein the border portion and the planar body panel portion are connected at the outer edge to form a continuous surface.
18. The body panel of claim 13 , wherein each seam includes a mechanical interlock between the corresponding segments.
19. The body panel of claim 13 , wherein the second plurality of segments is radiotransparent.
20. The body panel of claim 13 , wherein the seam is waterproof.