IP Library Granted Patent US 10,668,517
Granted Patent B2
US 10,668,517 · App. 15/718,736 · Granted Jun 2, 2020

Metal shell of electronic device and method for fabricating same

Inventors: Jianbo Ran (Beijing, CN); Duo Xu (Beijing, CN); Youfu Wang (Beijing, CN)
Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.
B21D22/02B23C3/12B29C45/14221B29C45/14311G06F1/1613H04M1/0202B29K2705/00B29L2031/3481
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,668,517
App. No.
15/718,736
Granted
Jun 2, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A metal shell of an electronic device and a method for fabricating the metal shell are provided. The method for fabricating the metal shell includes: stamping out a side wall and a bottom portion of the metal shell from a metal sheet, wherein the stamping retains a reserved material at a first position on the side wall; bending and shoving the reserved material on the side wall towards an inner side of the side wall, until a protruding portion is formed at the inner side of the side wall; removing an excessive portion of the protruding portion to shape the protruding portion into a plastic gripping structure of a preset shape; and injecting and filling the plastic gripping structure with plastic.

Claims (89)

1. A method for fabricating a metal shell, comprising:

stamping out a side wall and a bottom portion of the metal shell from a metal sheet, wherein the stamping retains a reserved material at a first position on the side wall;

bending and shoving the reserved material on the side wall towards an inner side of the side wall, until a protruding portion is formed at the inner side of the side wall;

removing an excessive portion of the protruding portion to shape the protruding portion into a plastic gripping structure of a preset shape; and

injecting and filling the plastic gripping structure with plastic.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein bending and shoving the reserved material on the side wall towards the inner side of the side wall, until the protruding portion is formed at the inner side of the side wall comprises:

placing a position limiting device at a second position on the bottom portion of the metal shell, the second position corresponding to the first position on the side wall;

bending and shoving the reserved material on the side wall towards the inner side of the side wall, until the protruding portion is formed on a top surface of the position limiting device;

setting the protruding portion against the top surface of the position limiting device; and

removing the position limiting device from the bottom portion of the metal shell.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the plastic gripping structure is a first plastic gripping structure; and

removing the excessive portion of the protruding portion to shape the protruding portion into the plastic gripping structure of the preset shape comprises:

milling out the first plastic gripping structure from the protruding portion, according to the preset shape of the first plastic gripping structure, the first plastic gripping structure being in a single-piece structure;

cutting the first plastic gripping structure into two or more second plastic gripping structures; and

milling out a hollow structure between at least two adjacent second plastic gripping structures.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

before the excessive portion of the protruding portion is removed to shape the protruding portion into the plastic gripping structure of the preset shape, milling out at least one plastic gripping hole on a surface of the protruding portion, the surface being parallel to the bottom portion of the metal shell.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after the protruding portion is formed at the inner side of the side wall, milling out at least one through hole on the protruding portion.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after the plastic gripping structure is injected and filled with plastic, dividing the metal shell into a border and a main body and filling an interspace between the border and the main body with plastic to affix the border to the main body.

7. A metal shell, comprising:

a side wall;

a bottom portion; and

a plastic gripping structure of a preset shape, the plastic gripping structure being disposed on the side wall,

wherein the plastic gripping structure is formed by a method comprising:

stamping out the side wall and bottom portion of the metal shell from a metal sheet, wherein the stamping retains a reserved material at a first position on the side wall;

bending and shoving the reserved material on the side wall towards an inner side of the side wall, until a protruding portion is formed at the inner side of the side wall;

removing an excessive portion of the protruding portion to shape the protruding portion into the plastic gripping structure; and

injecting and covering the plastic gripping structure with plastic,

wherein bending and shoving the reserved material on the side wall towards the inner side of the side wall, until the protruding portion is formed at the inner side of the side wall comprises:

placing a position limiting device at a second position on the bottom portion of the metal shell, the second position corresponding to the first position on the side wall;

bending and shoving the reserved material on the side wall towards the inner side of the side wall, until the protruding portion is formed on a top surface of the position limiting device;

setting the protruding portion against the top surface of the position limiting device; and

removing the position limiting device from the bottom portion of the metal shell.

8. The metal shell of claim 7 , wherein:

the plastic gripping structure is a first plastic gripping structure; and

removing the excessive portion of the protruding portion to shape the protruding portion into the plastic gripping structure of the preset shape comprises:

milling out the first plastic gripping structure from the protruding portion, according to the preset shape of the first plastic gripping structure, the first plastic gripping structure being in a single-piece structure; and

cutting the first plastic gripping structure into two or more second plastic gripping structures; and

milling out a hollow structure between at least two adjacent second plastic gripping structures.

9. The metal shell of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:

before the excessive portion of the protruding portion is removed to shape the protruding portion into the plastic gripping structure of the preset shape, milling out at least one plastic gripping hole on a surface of the protruding portion, the surface being parallel to the bottom portion of the metal shell.

10. The metal shell of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:

after the protruding portion is formed at the inner side of the side wall, milling out at least one through hole on the protruding portion.

11. The metal shell of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:

after the plastic gripping structure is covered with plastic, dividing the metal shell into a border and a main body, and filling an interspace between the border and the main body with plastic to affix the border to the main body.

12. The metal shell of claim 7 , wherein:

the metal shell further comprises a slot;

the first position of the reserved material on the side wall is determined by a position of the slot on the metal shell; and

the reserved material is:

sized to overlay the slot, and

extended along the side wall in a direction parallel to the bottom portion of the metal shell.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor; and

a metal shell configured to house the processor and memory, the metal shell comprising:

a side wall;

a bottom portion; and

a plastic gripping structure of a preset shape, the plastic gripping structure being disposed on the side wall,

wherein the plastic gripping structure is formed by a method comprising:

stamping out the side wall and bottom portion of the metal shell from a metal sheet, wherein the stamping retains a reserved material at a first position on the side wall;

bending and shoving the reserved material on the side wall towards an inner side of the side wall, until a protruding portion is formed at the inner side of the side wall;

removing an excessive portion of the protruding portion to shape the protruding portion into the plastic gripping structure; and

covering the plastic gripping structure with plastic,

wherein bending and shoving the reserved material on the side wall towards the inner side of the side wall, until the protruding portion is formed at the inner side of the side wall comprises:

placing a position limiting device at a second position on the bottom portion of the metal shell, the second position corresponding to the first position on the side wall;

bending and shoving the reserved material on the side wall towards the inner side of the side wall, until the protruding portion is formed on a top surface of the position limiting device;

setting the protruding portion against the top surface of the position limiting device; and

removing the position limiting device from the bottom portion of the metal shell.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein:

the plastic gripping structure is a first plastic gripping structure; and

removing the excessive portion of the protruding portion to shape the protruding portion into the plastic gripping structure of the preset shape comprises:

milling out the first plastic gripping structure from the protruding portion, according to the preset shape of the first plastic gripping structure, the first plastic gripping structure being in a single-piece structure; and

cutting the first plastic gripping structure into two or more second plastic gripping structures; and

milling out a hollow structure between at least two adjacent second plastic gripping structures.

15. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:

before the excessive portion of the protruding portion is removed to shape the protruding portion into the plastic gripping structure of the preset shape, milling out at least one plastic gripping hole on a surface of the protruding portion, the surface being parallel to the bottom portion of the metal shell.

16. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:

after the protruding portion is formed at the inner side of the side wall, milling out at least one through hole on the protruding portion.

17. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:

after the plastic gripping structure is injected and filled with plastic, dividing the metal shell into a border and a main body, and filling an interspace between the border and the main body with plastic to affix the border to the main body.

18. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein:

the metal shell further comprises a slot;

the first position of the reserved material on the side wall is determined by a position of the slot on the metal shell; and

the reserved material is:

sized to overlay the slot, and

extended along the side wall in a direction parallel to the bottom portion of the metal shell.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 2, 2017
From: RAN, JIANBO; XU, DUO; WANG, YOUFU
To: BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 043749/0353 →
Priority Claims (1)
WO PCT/CN2016/101060 · Sep 30, 2016 · international
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180093312A1 · Apr 5, 2018