Housing for an electronic device, device comprising such a housing and method for manufacturing such a housing

1. A housing ( 1 ) for an electronic device, comprising:

a front part ( 2 ) and a back part ( 3 ) having sides ( 2 ″, 3 ″) and that are adapted to be assembled together to define an internal volume ( 5 ) capable of receiving functional components of the device,

wherein at least one of the front ( 2 ) and back ( 3 ) parts contains an insert ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ) produced from a first material integrated, by overmolding, into a frame ( 9 ; 10 ) produced from a second material, the insert ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ) containing a face ( 7 ″′, 13 ′) extending at least to an external skin (2′+3′+13′+7″′) of the housing ( 1 ) and constituting part of the external skin of the housing ( 1 ).

2. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein adjacent zones of the insert ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ) and the frame ( 9 ; 10 ) are coplanar.

3. The housing according to claim 2 , wherein the insert ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ) contains a peripheral rim ( 12 ) folded by approximately 90° , forming an angle to a flat central region ( 13 ).

4. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein the insert ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ) contains a peripheral rim ( 12 ) folded by approximately 90° , forming an angle to a flat central region ( 13 ).

5. The housing according to claim 4 , wherein the insert ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ) contains perforations ( 14 ) and/or notches located on the peripheral rim ( 12 ), passed through at least in part by the second material coming from the frame ( 9 ; 10 ) from an outer side of the housing ( 1 ) towards the internal volume ( 5 ).

6. The housing according to claim 5 , wherein the perforations ( 14 ) and/or notches each have an opening surface approximately equal to that of a hole having a diameter comprised between 0.5 and 3 mm.

7. The housing according to claim 6 , wherein the perforations ( 14 ) and/or notches are distributed approximately homogeneously on the peripheral rim ( 12 ) of the insert ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ).

8. The housing according to claim 5 , wherein the perforations ( 14 ) and/or notches are distributed approximately homogeneously on the peripheral rim ( 12 ) of the insert ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ).

9. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein the front ( 2 ) and back ( 3 ) parts are fixed by screws and/or clips coming from the insert ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ) of one of the front ( 2 ) or back ( 3 ) parts, to a lug ( 15 ; 15 ′) of the housing ( 1 ).

10. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein the front ( 2 ) and back ( 3 ) parts contain centering stops and/or ribs ( 20 ) which are adapted to ensure a joint assembly of their adjacent peripheral edges.

11. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein the insert ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ) has a thickness between 0.1 and 0.5 mm.

12. The housing according to claim 1 , wherein the insert ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ) has a rectangular general shape, of which the external dimensions, short and long sides, are greater than three quarters of the corresponding external dimensions of the front ( 2 ) or back ( 3 ) part supporting said insert ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ).

13. An electronic device comprising the housing ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the front part ( 2 ) contains a first said insert ( 7 ) provided with a window ( 11 ) intended to border a functional component of the device, and the back part ( 3 ) containing a second said insert ( 8 ) forming a back of the device.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13 , further comprising a damping pad ( 22 ) resting on a solid internal component ( 23 ) of the device and cooperating in contact with one of the inserts ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ) so as to prevent or attenuate the vibrations of the latter during operation of the device.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13 , further comprising actuating means ( 24 ) for causing one of the inserts ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ) to operate as a diaphragm of an electroacoustic transducer from set-point data emitted by an internal component of the device.

16. An electronic device comprising a first housing supporting a screen and hinged on a second housing supporting a keyboard, wherein at least one of said first and second housings is the housing ( 1 ) according to claim 1 .

17. The electronic device according to claim 16 , further comprising a damping pad ( 22 ) resting on a solid internal component ( 23 ) of the device and cooperating in contact with one of the inserts ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ) so as to prevent or attenuate the vibrations of the latter during operation of the device.

18. A method for manufacturing the housing according to claim 1 , comprising the following steps:

obtaining the insert ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ) by a method involving steps including at least one of cutting, drawing, punching, and folding the first material,

positioning the insert ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ) in an open mold ( 26 ),

using a floating core ( 27 ; 27 ′) so as to exert a constraint on the insert ( 7 ; 7 ′; 8 ), the latter thus being held pressed against a support surface of the mold ( 26 ),

closing the mold ( 26 ), and

injecting the second material into the mold ( 26 ).

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the floating core ( 27 ) is set into the insert ( 7 ), between peripheral rims ( 12 ) of the latter forming angles of approximately 90° to a flat central zone of the insert ( 7 ), the core ( 27 ) comprising peripheral slots ( 28 ) defining the injected material in slots corresponding to the projections of the insert ( 7 ).

20. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the floating core ( 27 ′) is set into the insert ( 7 ′), between peripheral rims ( 12 ′) of the latter forming angles of approximately 90° to a flat central zone of the insert ( 7 ′), and slots defining the injected material in slots corresponding to the projections of the insert ( 7 ′).