Patent Application
20080280083
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to housings, and more specifically to a housing for an electronic device and a method of making the same.
2. Description of Related Art
With the development of wireless communication and information processing technologies, portable electronic devices, such as mobile telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), are now in widespread use. Since the electronic devices are being used as an everyday item, the appearance of the electronic device can play an important role of its appeal. In order to improve the appearance of the electronic device, manufacturers pay more and more attention to design the housing of the electronic device. A typical housing for an electronic device has a plurality of through holes defined in a front board thereof. The through holes are in an arrayed pattern (e.g., landscape, portrait, and so on). During use, the electronic device generates light from inside. The light escapes from the through holes of the housing, so as to brightly show the pattern which the through holes arrayed. Although this housing may improve the appearance of the electronic device, dust and water could easily get into the electronic device via the through holes. In addition, since the through holes are defined in the housing, the strength of the housing is reduced. Thus, the housing may easily be deformed.
Therefore, a new housing for an electronic device is desired in order to overcome the above-described problems.
In one embodiment thereof, a housing is applied to an electronic device. The housing includes a transparent base and a first metal coating. The base has a first surface and the first metal coating is formed on the first surface of the base. A plurality of first through holes is defined in the metal coating. The first through holes are in an arrayed pattern.
Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Many aspects of the housing for an electronic device can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present housing. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Referring now to
In a second embodiment, referring to
In a third embodiment, referring to
In a fourth embodiment, referring to
A method for making the housing 20 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, includes a series of steps, as follows.
Firstly, the base 22 is formed by a plastic injection molding machine. The base 22 is made of transparent plastic material, such as polycarbonate. The base 22 contains the first surface 222 and the second surface 224.
Secondly, the base 22 is plated so as to form the first metal coating 242 and the second metal coating 244. The first metal coating is formed on the first surface 222 of the base 22, and the second metal coating is formed on the second surface 224. The method of plating the base 22 includes the steps as follow:
using alkaline solution, such as sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate to clean the surface of the base 22, so as to get rid of the oil or impurity on the surface of the base 22;
using vitriol solution and chromium solution to perform roughness elimination treatment on the surface of the base 22 at temperature 60˜80° C. for 2˜10 minutes, so that granules can be attached to the surface of the base 22;
rinsing out the leaving solution and chromium solution from the base 22 with soft water;
immersing the base 22 into a alkaline solution, such as sodium hydroxide, at temperature 40˜55° C. for 3˜10 minutes, so as to counteract the acid leaving in the base 22;
immersing the base 22 into a solution with sensitizer so as to add readily oxidizable materials onto the surface of the base 22;
immersing the base 22 into a palladium stannum alloy solution at temperature 40˜50° C. for 2˜8 minutes, so as to form a layer of palladium Stannum alloy on the surface of the base 22;
immersing the base 22 into a sodium hydroxide solution for 2˜6 minutes so as to remove the stannum ions from the layer on the base 22, thus remaining palladium ions arrayed on the base 22;
immersing the base 22 into a nickel solution at temperature 35˜45° C. for 2˜8 minutes so as to form a palladium nickel layer on the surface of the base 22, wherein the nickel solution includes nickel vitriol, sodium hydrosulfite and ammonium chloride;
rinsing out the leaving nickel solution on the base 22 with soft water;
plating the base 22 in a nickel electrolyte so as to form the first metal coating 242 and the second metal coating 244, wherein the base 22 is connected with a cathode pole, a nickel post is inserted into the nickel electrolyte and is connected with an anode pole so as to apply nickel ions, and the first metal coating 242 and the second metal coating 244 are 0.05˜0.08 μm thickness.
Thirdly, using a laser engraving machine to carve the first metal coating 242 and the second metal coating 244 so as to form a plurality of first through holes 246 in the first metal coating 242 and a plurality of second through holes 248 in the second metal coating 244, wherein the through holes 246 of the first metal coating 242 are coaxial with a corresponding through hole 248 of the second metal coating 244, and the base 22 is exposed to the air via the through holes 246, 248.
At last, plating the base 22 in a nickel electrolyte again so as to increase the thickness of the metal coatings, wherein the metal coatings are connected with a cathode pole, a nickel post is inserted into the nickel electrolyte and is connected with an anode pole so as to apply nickel ions. Since the base 22 is not electric during this plating treatment, a metal layer does not coat the exposed areas of the base 22. Thus, the housing 20 is formed.
It should be understood that since the base does not have holes defined therein, the strength of the base does not reduced.
It also should be understood that the surface of the base 22 might be coated by a copper layer or a chrome layer.
It also should be understood that the last step may be omitted if the appearance of the electronic is in lower requirement.
It also should be understood that the method may be applied to mobile phones, note books, game machines and so on.
It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200710074345.1 | May 2007 | CN | national |
