公开(公告)号：US11247421B1

公开(公告)日：2022-02-15

申请号：US16848264

申请日：2020-04-14

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Prabhakar Gulgunje ,  Wei Lin ,  Shubhaditya Majumdar ,  Nathan K. Gupta

IPC: G02B6/08 ,  B29D11/00

Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing with a display. A protective display cover layer for the display may have an image transport layer such as a fiber optic plate. The fiber optic plate may be formed from fibers. An extruder may form fiber bundles that each include a respective plurality of fibers distributed in binder material. The fiber bundles from the extruder may be fed directly to a block forming die. The block forming die may receive the fiber bundles from the extruder and output a unitary fiber block. The fiber bundles may remain heated in the block forming die such that the binder material of the fiber bundles seamlessly merges during formation of the unitary fiber block. A cutter can be used to cut off a layer of the unitary fiber block. This layer may be machined and polished to form the fiber optic plate.

公开(公告)号：US10935849B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-02

申请号：US16536193

申请日：2019-08-08

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Nathan K. Gupta ,  Atanas V. Gagov

IPC: G02F1/1339 ,  G02F1/1335

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display having substrate layers such as a color filter layer, thin-film transistor layer, or other display layers. An array of pixels may be formed from thin-film circuitry on a display layer. A color filter layer may be formed from an array of color filter elements on a display layer. The color filter elements may provide the array of pixels with the ability to display color images. In a liquid crystal display configuration, a liquid crystal layer may be interposed between the substrate layers. A ring of sealant may surround the liquid crystal layer and may be interposed between the substrate layers. The display may have a periphery. The substrate layers may be welded with a glass weld such as a laser glass weld or other weld on an edge surface of the substrate layers running along the periphery.

公开(公告)号：US10782818B2

公开(公告)日：2020-09-22

申请号：US16116785

申请日：2018-08-29

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Andrew Deng ,  Travis N. Owens ,  Shubhaditya Majumdar ,  Wei Lin ,  Ying-da Wang ,  Timothy D. Koch ,  Nathan K. Gupta

IPC: G06F3/041 ,  G06F1/16

Abstract: A force input sensor includes a load cell to adapt a compressive force applied to the force input sensor into a strain experienced by a strain sensor in the load cell. In particular, the load cell includes two compression plates separated from one another by a gap so as to define a volume between them. A flexible substrate (a “diaphragm”)—includes a strain sensor and is disposed and supported within the volume. One of the two compression plates includes a feature (a “loading feature”) that extends toward a central region of the flexible substrate. As a result of this construction, when the compression plates receive a compressive force, the loading feature induces a bending moment in the flexible substrate, thereby straining the strain sensor.

公开(公告)号：US10300557B2

公开(公告)日：2019-05-28

申请号：US15712646

申请日：2017-09-22

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Nathan K. Gupta ,  Simon R. Lancaster-Larocque ,  Prithu Sharma ,  Weibo Cheng ,  Abhijit A. Kangude ,  Bryan W. Posner ,  Sudirukkuge T. Jinasundera ,  Karan Bir

IPC: B23K26/36 ,  B23K26/00 ,  B23K26/08 ,  B23K26/0622 ,  B23K26/53 ,  B23K103/00

Abstract: A hybrid laser modulation and acid etch process for the creation of a patterned substrate. According to some embodiments, a hole is formed in a glass substrate by first modulating a portion of the substrate in the desired shape. A mask is coated on the glass substrate and is patterned to expose the modulated portion. The glass substrate is then acid etched to remove the modulated portion. Once the modulated portion has been etched, the desired shape may be removed from the glass substrate and the mask may be stripped.

公开(公告)号：US10108222B2

公开(公告)日：2018-10-23

申请号：US15177252

申请日：2016-06-08

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Nathan K. Gupta ,  Sudirukkuge T. Jinasundera ,  Myunghun Lee

IPC: G02F1/1339 ,  G06F1/16 ,  H04N5/225 ,  H01L27/12 ,  G02F1/1368 ,  G02F1/1335 ,  G02F1/1333

Abstract: An electronic device may have a display. The display may be mounted in a housing and may have a window to accommodate a camera or other electrical component. The display may have multiple substrate layers. A hole may be formed in one of the substrate layers to form additional space within the housing to accommodate the electrical component. The hole may be drilled partway through a substrate layer to form an annular thinned region. The annular thinned region may be cracked to release a disk-shaped portion of the substrate layer and form the hole. A ring of sealant may surround the hole to help cushion the display substrate layers during drilling operations. Column spacer structures may be formed on a portion of a display substrate that is overlapped by the hole.

公开(公告)号：US20170364158A1

公开(公告)日：2017-12-21

申请号：US15621930

申请日：2017-06-13

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Xiaonan Wen ,  Wei Lin ,  James E. Pedder ,  Xiaofan Niu ,  Nathan K. Gupta ,  Po-Jui Chen ,  Robert W. Rumford ,  Pavan O. Gupta ,  Jui-Ming Yang

IPC: G06F3/01 ,  G06F3/02 ,  G06F3/0354 ,  G06F3/041

CPC classification number: G06F3/016 ,  G06F3/0202 ,  G06F3/03547 ,  G06F3/0412 ,  G06F2203/014 ,  H01L41/0986

Abstract: In some embodiments, a haptic actuator includes piezoelectric material and a pattern of voltage electrodes coupled to a surface of the piezoelectric material. The voltage electrodes are individually controllable to supply voltage to different portions of the piezoelectric material. Different sections of the piezoelectric material are operable to deflect, producing haptic output at those locations, in response to the application of the voltage. Differing voltages may be provided to one or more of the voltage electrodes to affect the location of the deflection, and thus the haptic output. In various embodiments, a haptic output system incorporates a sealed haptic element. The sealed haptic element includes a piezoelectric component that is coupled to one or more flexes and is sealed and/or enclosed by the flex(es) and an encapsulation or sealing material.

公开(公告)号：US09618669B2

公开(公告)日：2017-04-11

申请号：US14075419

申请日：2013-11-08

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Cheng Chen ,  Masato Kuwabara ,  Christopher L. Boitnott ,  Jun Qi ,  Nathan K. Gupta ,  Victor H. Yin ,  John Z. Zhong

IPC: G02F1/1335 ,  G02B5/30 ,  G02F1/1333

CPC classification number: G02B5/305 ,  G02B1/11 ,  G02B1/14 ,  G02B1/18 ,  G02B5/3083 ,  G02F1/133528 ,  G02F1/133533 ,  G02F2001/133374 ,  G02F2001/133538

Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided with displays that have polarizers. A polarizer may have a polymer layer that has a portion covered with a dichroic dye to form a polarized region and a portion that is free of dichroic dye to form an unpolarized region. The unpolarized region may be formed by masking the polymer layer during a dye coating process. Masks may be formed from polymers. The shape of the mask may define the shape of the unpolarized region. The mask may be left in place within the polarizer or may be removed from the polarizer during fabrication. Unpolarized regions may also be formed by light bleaching, chemical bleaching, and material removal techniques. Bleached areas may be chemically stabilized. A moisture barrier layer may be incorporated into the polarizer to help prevent the unpolarized region from reverting to a polarized state.

公开(公告)号：US09221125B2

公开(公告)日：2015-12-29

申请号：US13928881

申请日：2013-06-27

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Jun Qi ,  Wayne H. Fu ,  Chenhui Wang ,  Kuanying Lin ,  Nathan K. Gupta ,  Victor H. Yin

IPC: B23K26/08 ,  B32B38/10 ,  B23K26/38 ,  B23K26/40 ,  B32B38/00 ,  B23K26/10

CPC classification number: B23K26/38 ,  B23K26/0876 ,  B23K26/103 ,  B23K26/402 ,  B23K2103/42 ,  B23K2103/50 ,  B29C2793/0027 ,  B32B38/105 ,  Y10T156/108 ,  Y10T156/1348

Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided with display structures such as glass and polymer layers in a liquid crystal display. The glass layers may serve as substrates for components such as a color filter layer and thin-film transistor layer. The polymer layers may include films such as a polarizer film and other optical films. During fabrication of a display, the polymer layers and glass layers may be laminated to one another. Portions of the polymer layers may extend past the edges of the glass layers. Laser cutting techniques may be used to trim away excess portions of the polymer layer that do not overlap underlying portions of the glass layers. Laser cutting may involve application of an adjustable infrared laser beam.

Abstract translation: 电子设备可以在液晶显示器中提供诸如玻璃和聚合物层的显示结构。 玻璃层可以用作诸如滤色器层和薄膜晶体管层的部件的基板。 聚合物层可以包括诸如偏振膜和其它光学膜的膜。 在制造显示器期间，聚合物层和玻璃层可以彼此层压。 聚合物层的一部分可以延伸超过玻璃层的边缘。 可以使用激光切割技术来修剪不与玻璃层的下面部分重叠的聚合物层的多余部分。 激光切割可涉及应用可调节的红外激光束。

公开(公告)号：US20150167951A1

公开(公告)日：2015-06-18

申请号：US14132346

申请日：2013-12-18

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Adam T. Garelli ,  Christopher L. Boitnott ,  Dinesh C. Mathew ,  Jun Qi ,  Nicholas A. Rundle ,  Vitor H. Yin ,  Nathan K. Gupta

IPC: F21V29/00 ,  F21V8/00 ,  F21K99/00

CPC classification number: G02B6/0083 ,  F21K9/61 ,  F21Y2115/10 ,  G02B6/0068 ,  G02B6/0073

Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided with displays. A display may have a light guide plate. Backlight for the display may be launched into the light guide plate from an array of light-emitting diodes. The light-emitting diodes may be mounted on a metal core printed circuit board having a dielectric layer and a metal layer. The metal core printed circuit board may have an elongated shape that extends along the surface of a metal structure. A weld may be formed along a seam between the metal layer of the metal core printed circuit board and the metal structure. The metal structure may be an electronic device housing, a display chassis member, a heat spreader, a heat pipe, or other structures in an electronic device.

Abstract translation: 电子设备可以设置有显示器。 显示器可以具有导光板。 用于显示器的背光可以从发光二极管阵列发射到导光板中。 发光二极管可以安装在具有电介质层和金属层的金属芯印刷电路板上。 金属芯印刷电路板可以具有沿着金属结构的表面延伸的细长形状。 可以沿着金属芯印刷电路板的金属层和金属结构之间的接缝形成焊缝。 金属结构可以是电子设备壳体，显示器底座构件，散热器，热管或电子设备中的其他结构。

公开(公告)号：US20150160390A1

公开(公告)日：2015-06-11

申请号：US14502704

申请日：2014-09-30

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Supriya Goyal ,  Christopher L. Boitnott ,  Enkhamgalan Dorjgotov ,  Li Zhang ,  Masato Kuwabara ,  Nathan K. Gupta ,  Victor H. Yin ,  Jun Qi ,  Adam T. Garelli ,  Nicholas A. Rundle ,  Dinesh C. Mathew ,  Cheng Chen

IPC: G02B5/30 ,  B32B38/00 ,  H04N5/44

CPC classification number: G02B5/3033 ,  B32B37/1284 ,  B32B37/203 ,  B32B38/0004 ,  B32B2307/42 ,  B32B2329/04 ,  B32B2457/20 ,  G02B1/14 ,  G02B5/305 ,  G02B5/3083 ,  Y10T156/1064

Abstract: Electronic devices may be provided with displays that have polarizers. A polarizer may be provided with an unpolarized strip. The unpolarized strip may extend across the width of the polarizer and may overlap a light-based component such as a camera that is located in an inactive border area of a display. The polarizer may have a polarizer layer formed form a polymer with a dichroic dye. A strip-shaped opening may be formed in the polarizer layer by cutting out a strip of the polarizer layer with a laser cutting tool or other equipment, a strip of unpolarized material may be formed in the polarizer layer using chemical bleaching, or light-based bleaching techniques may be used to form an unpolarized strip in the polarizer layer.

Abstract translation: 电子设备可以设置有具有偏振器的显示器。 偏振器可以设置有非偏振条。 非偏振条可延伸跨越偏振器的宽度，并且可以与位于显示器的非活动边界区域中的基于光的组件（例如相机）重叠。 偏振器可以具有由具有二色性染料的聚合物形成的偏振层。 可以通过用激光切割工具或其他设备切割偏振器层的条带来在偏振器层中形成条形开口，可以使用化学漂白或基于光的方式在偏振器层中形成非偏振材料条 可以使用漂白技术在偏振器层中形成非偏振条。