Housing components for electronic devices
Electronic devices are provided with a protective housing having one or more housing components. A housing component can be formed from a single sheet of material to appear as if the housing component had been formed from a hollowed out solid block of material. The sheet of material may be deep drawn, forged, and machined to form the housing component. One or more holes may be formed through a portion of the housing component to provide an I/O interface.
1. An electronic device comprising:
an electronic component; and
a housing component made from a sheet of material for protecting the electronic component, the housing component comprising:
a front wall;
a first side wall drawn from the sheet of material; and
a passageway formed between an outer opening in an outer surface of the front wall and an inner opening in an inner surface of the front wall,
wherein the first side wall extends from an intersection with the front wall, wherein the intersection includes first material forged from the first side wall, and wherein at least a portion of the perimeter of the outer opening is along the intersection of the front wall and the first side wall.
2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first forged material provides a curved surface at the intersection.
3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first forged material provides a coarse edge at the intersection.
4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the housing component further includes second material machined from the intersection.
5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the second machined material creates a fine edge at the intersection.
6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the front wall at the at least a portion of the perimeter appears to be the thickness of the first side wall.
7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the perimeter of the outer opening is separated from the intersection of the front wall and the first side wall by a chin portion of the front wall.
8. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an input/output component provided along the inner surface of the front wall at the inner opening.
9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the input/output component is a display.
10. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the front wall and the first side wall meet at substantially a 90° angle at the intersection.
11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the housing component appears to be machined from a block of the material.
12. An electronic device comprising:
an electronic component; and
a housing component for protecting the electronic component, the housing component comprising:
a sheet of material having an external surface and an internal surface separated by a material thickness;
a passageway punched through the sheet of material and between an external opening in the external surface and an internal opening in the internal surface; and
a first portion of the material forged about the external opening that extends the passageway away from the external surface,
wherein the extended length of the passageway is substantially greater than the material thickness.
13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the first portion of forged material provides a curved surface at the intersection of the external surface of the sheet of material and an interior wall of the passageway.
14. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the housing component further includes a second portion of the material machined at the intersection of the external surface and an interior wall of the passageway.
15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the second portion of machined material provides a fine edge at the intersection of the external surface and the interior wall of the passageway.
16. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the extended length of the passageway is about four times greater than the material thickness.
17. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the extended length of the passageway is about 3.0 millimeters.
18. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the material thickness is about 0.8 millimeters.
19. The electronic device of claim 12 , further comprising:
an input/output component positioned at an internal end of the extended passageway.
20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the input/output component is an audio jack.
21. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the housing component further includes a front wall and a first side wall drawn from the sheet of material, and wherein the passageway is at the intersection of the front wall and the first side wall.
22. A method for forming a passageway through a housing component made of a sheet of material, the sheet of material having an external surface and an internal surface separated by a material thickness, the method comprising:
punching a passageway through the sheet of material, the passageway extending between an opening in the external surface and an opening in the internal surface; and
machining an inside surface of the passageway, the machining forming a smooth interior surface of the passageway,
wherein the housing component includes a first portion of the material forged about the external opening that extends the passageway away from the external surface.
23. The method as recited in claim 22 , wherein the machining of the inside surface forms a sharp edge along a periphery of the opening in the external surface.
24. The method as recited in claim 23 , wherein the passageway is substantially longer than the material thickness of the sheet of material.