CN106550072B

CN106550072B - Cover plate assembly and terminal

Info

Publication number: CN106550072B
Application number: CN201611107948.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 周意保
Original assignee: Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp Ltd
Current assignee: Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp Ltd
Priority date: 2016-12-06
Filing date: 2016-12-06
Publication date: 2020-01-14
Anticipated expiration: 2036-12-06
Also published as: CN106550072A

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a cover plate assembly and a terminal, wherein the cover plate assembly comprises a cover plate and an ink layer arranged on one side of the cover plate, the ink layer comprises a dopant, and the transmittance of the ink layer to infrared rays is between 2% and 20%. Due to the fact that the adulterant is added into the ink layer of the cover plate assembly, the transmittance of the ink layer to infrared rays is between 2% and 20%, and therefore the proximity sensor can receive signals without arranging through holes on the ink layer, the state of proximity or distance between the terminal and an external object is judged, and the manufacturing process of the terminal can be simplified.

Description

Cover plate assembly and terminal

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of terminals, in particular to a cover plate assembly and a terminal.

Background

With the rapid development of terminal technology, mobile terminals are becoming more and more popular and become indispensable devices in people's lives. People can learn, entertain and the like through the mobile terminal.

At present, a non-display area of a glass cover plate of a mobile terminal is transparent, and in order to make the mobile terminal more attractive, ink can be generally sprayed on the lower surface of the non-display area of the glass cover plate to form multiple layers of ink so as to hide the internal structure of the mobile terminal.

A proximity sensor is arranged in the mobile terminal. Correspondingly, the ink layer on the glass cover plate needs to be provided with a through hole, so that the proximity sensor receives signals, and the approaching or separating state between the mobile terminal and an external object is judged.

A plurality of ink layers are formed on the glass cover plate, and through holes are formed in the ink layers, so that the manufacturing process of the mobile terminal is complex.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the invention provides a cover plate assembly and a terminal, which can simplify the manufacturing process of the terminal.

The embodiment of the invention provides a cover plate assembly, which comprises a cover plate and an ink layer arranged on one side of the cover plate, wherein the ink layer comprises a dopant, and the transmittance of the ink layer to infrared rays is between 2% and 20%.

An embodiment of the present invention further provides a cover plate assembly, including:

the cover plate comprises an appearance surface and an inner surface arranged corresponding to the appearance surface;

the printing ink layer is arranged on the inner surface of the cover plate and comprises a functional area, so that the functional area is hidden on the appearance surface of the cover plate.

The embodiment of the invention also provides a terminal, which comprises a shell and a cover plate assembly, wherein the cover plate assembly is arranged on the shell, and the cover plate assembly is the cover plate assembly.

According to the terminal provided by the embodiment of the invention, as the adulterant is added into the ink layer of the cover plate component, the transmittance of the ink layer to infrared rays is between 2% and 20%, a proximity sensor can receive signals without arranging a through hole on the ink layer, and the proximity or distance state between the terminal and an external object is judged, so that the manufacturing process of the terminal can be simplified.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the invention, and that for a person skilled in the art, other drawings can be derived from them without inventive effort.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a first structure of a sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a second structure of a sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a third structure of a sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a fourth structure of a sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a fifth structure of a sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a sixth structure of a sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of a seventh structure of a sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a schematic view of a first structure of a cover plate assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a second cover plate assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a second cover plate assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a schematic structural diagram of a third cover plate assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram of a fourth structure of the cover plate assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a schematic structural diagram of a fifth structure of the cover plate assembly according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an application scenario of diffraction in a signal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that the described embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, and not restrictive of the full scope of the invention. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", and the like, indicate orientations and positional relationships based on those shown in the drawings, and are used only for convenience of description and simplicity of description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element being referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus, should not be considered as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first", "second" and "first" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined as "first", "second", may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the described features. In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means two or more unless specifically defined otherwise.

In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, e.g., as meaning either a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection; may be mechanically connected, may be electrically connected or may be in communication with each other; either directly or indirectly through intervening media, either internally or in any other relationship. The specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood by those skilled in the art according to specific situations.

In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly stated or limited, "above" or "below" a first feature means that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact with each other via another feature therebetween. Also, the first feature being "on," "above" and "over" the second feature includes the first feature being directly on and obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicating that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. A first feature being "under," "below," and "beneath" a second feature includes the first feature being directly under and obliquely below the second feature, or simply meaning that the first feature is at a lesser elevation than the second feature.

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different features of the invention. To simplify the disclosure of the present invention, the components and arrangements of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples, such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed. In addition, the present invention provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize applications of other processes and/or uses of other materials.

Referring to fig. 1, the terminal 100 includes a housing 10, a receiver 20, a camera 30, a fingerprint module 40, a sensor assembly 50, a cover assembly 60, and a control circuit.

Wherein the housing 10 is used to form the outer contour of the terminal 100. The receiver 20, the camera 30, the fingerprint module 40 and the control circuit are installed in the housing 10. The receiver 20 may be used to output the sound signal to the outside. The camera 30 may be used to capture external images. Fingerprint module 40 can be used to gather user's fingerprint information. The control circuit may be a motherboard. The control circuit can be electrically connected with the receiver 20, the camera 30 and the fingerprint module 40 to realize the overall monitoring of the terminal 100.

Referring to fig. 2, the sensor assembly 50 may include a signal receiver 501, a signal receiver 502, and a circuit board 503. The signal receiver 501 and the signal receiver 502 may be packaged to form a package 510. The package 510 may be disposed on the circuit board 503. The signal receiver 501 and the signal receiver 502 are used for receiving signals. The signal may be an optical signal, an acoustic signal, or other types of signals.

In some embodiments, signal receiver 501 and signal receiver 502 are used to receive infrared light. In some embodiments, signal receiver 501 and signal receiver 502 may also be used to receive laser light. In some embodiments, the signal receiver 501 and the signal receiver 502 may also be used to receive ultrasonic waves.

The terminal 100 may control the terminal 100 by determining whether the terminal 100 is in a close state or a distant state from an external object according to the intensity values of the signals received by the signal receiver 501 and the signal receiver 502.

When the signal receiver 501 and the signal receiver 502 are used for receiving optical signals, the signal receiver 501 and the signal receiver 502 may be optical sensing chips with different specifications, and the maximum values of the light fluxes that can be received are different. That is, the ranges of the signal receiver 501 and the signal receiver 502 may be different.

Referring to fig. 3, in some embodiments, sensor assembly 50 may also include a signal emitter 504. The signal emitter 504 is spaced apart from the package 510 on the circuit board 503. The signal transmitter 504 is used to transmit a signal outward. The signal receiver 501 and the signal receiver 502 are used for receiving signals reflected by external objects after being transmitted by the signal transmitter 504.

In some embodiments, signal emitter 504 is used to emit infrared light. In some embodiments, signal emitter 504 may also be used to emit laser light. In some embodiments, the signal transmitter 504 may also be used to transmit ultrasound.

The distance d between the signal transmitter 504 and the package 510 is in a range of 2mm ≦ d ≦ 12mm, so that after the signal transmitted by the signal transmitter 504 is reflected by an external object, the signal receiver 501 and the signal receiver 502 receive as many signals as possible. The distance d may be the distance between the geometric center of the package 510 and the geometric center of the signal emitter 504.

Referring to fig. 4, in some embodiments, the signal receiver 501 and the signal receiver 502 may not be packaged, but the signal receiver 501, the signal receiver 502, and the signal transmitter 504 are packaged to form a package 520. The package 520 is disposed on the circuit board 503.

Referring to fig. 5, in some embodiments, sensor assembly 50 may also include an ambient light sensor 505. The ambient light sensor 505, the package 510 and the signal emitter 504 are disposed on the circuit board 503 at an interval. The ambient light sensor 505 is configured to receive visible light to detect the intensity of ambient light. Terminal 100 can adjust the brightness of the display screen based on the intensity of ambient light detected by ambient light sensor 505.

Referring to fig. 6, in some embodiments, the signal receiver 501 and the signal receiver 502 may not be packaged, but the signal receiver 501, the signal receiver 502, and the ambient light sensor 505 are packaged to form a package 530. The package 530 is disposed on the circuit board 503.

Referring to fig. 7, in some embodiments, signal emitter 504 and ambient light sensor 505 may be packaged to form a package 540. The package body 540 is disposed on the circuit board 503.

Referring to fig. 8, in some embodiments, the signal receiver 501 and the signal receiver 502 may not be packaged, but the signal receiver 501, the signal receiver 502, the signal transmitter 504, and the ambient light sensor 505 are packaged to form a package 550. The package 550 is disposed on the circuit board 503.

In the present embodiment, the sensor assembly 50 includes only two

signal transmitters

501 and 502 for example. It is understood that in other embodiments of the present invention, sensor assembly 50 may include a signal transmitter and one or more signal receivers; a signal receiver and one or more signal transmitters may also be included.

When the sensor assembly 50 includes a signal transmitter and a signal receiver, the signal transmitter and the signal receiver may be spaced apart. The distance between the signal emitter and the signal receiver may be between 2mm and 12 mm. The signal transmitter and the signal receiver can also be encapsulated.

When the sensor assembly 50 includes multiple signal emitters, the multiple signal emitters may be encapsulated.

When the sensor assembly 50 includes a plurality of signal receivers, the plurality of signal receivers may be encapsulated.

Referring to fig. 9, the cover plate assembly 60 may include a cover plate 61 and an adhesion layer 62 disposed at one side of the cover plate 61. The cover plate 61 may be a transparent glass cover plate. The cover plate 61 has an outer appearance surface and an inner surface opposite to the outer appearance surface. The appearance face may be a surface visible to a user of the terminal. The inner surface may be the surface of the cover plate adjacent to the sensor assembly 50. In some embodiments, the cover plate 61 may be a glass cover plate made of a material such as sapphire.

The attachment layer 62 may be an ink layer. The ink layer comprises a dopant so that the ink layer has a transmittance of 2% to 20% for infrared rays and a transmittance of 2% to 10% for visible rays. In some embodiments, the dopant is polyurethane.

The functional region 63 may be provided on the adhesive layer 62. The functional region 63 is hidden from view when viewed from the external surface of the cover plate 61 by a user. In some embodiments, the functional region 63 may be provided as a blind hole.

The functional area 63 may be a sensor hole so that a sensor in the terminal can collect external environmental information through the functional area.

The functional area 63 may also be a camera hole, so that a camera can capture external images through the functional area.

The functional area 63 may also be a receiver hole so that a receiver can transmit sound signals to the outside through the functional area.

In some embodiments, the ink layer may include a plurality of sub-layers. For example, the ink layer may be three layers.

Referring to fig. 10, in some embodiments, the adhesive layer 62 may include a first adhesive layer 621 and a second adhesive layer 622. The first adhesive layer 621 is disposed on one side of the cover plate 61, and the second adhesive layer 622 is disposed on the first adhesive layer 621. The first adhesive layer 621 completely covers the second adhesive layer 622. The first adhesive layer 621 and the second adhesive layer 622 are disposed to hide the internal structure of the terminal 100 and the second adhesive layer 622. I.e. such that the user can see only the first adhesive layer 621 and not the second adhesive layer 622 when looking at the outside of the cover plate 61.

The transmittance of the first adhesive layer 621 is greater than that of the second adhesive layer 622.

For example, the transmittance of the first adhesive layer 621 may be 80% or more, and the transmittance of the second adhesive layer 622 may be 10% or less. In practice, the first adhesive layer 621 may be referred to as a transmissive layer for transmitting most of the signal. The second adhesion layer 622 may be referred to as a shielding layer for shielding most of the signal.

In practical applications, the second adhesive layer 622 is used to hide the internal structure of the terminal 100 so that the internal structure of the terminal 100 is not visible from the outside of the cover plate 61, thereby achieving an overall aesthetic effect of the terminal 100.

In some embodiments, the first adhesive layer 621 may be a white ink layer, and the second adhesive layer 622 may be a black ink layer. Of course, the white ink layer and the black ink layer are only examples, and the first adhesion layer 621 and the second adhesion layer 622 can be designed to have other colors according to different aesthetic requirements as long as the transmittance of the first adhesion layer 621 is greater than that of the second adhesion layer 622. The white ink layer, the black ink layer or the ink layers with other colors can be manufactured through a spraying or printing process.

In some embodiments, the first adhesive layer 621 may be a single layer, and the second adhesive layer 622 may be a single layer or multiple layers; alternatively, the first adhesive layer 621 may be a plurality of layers, and the second adhesive layer 622 may be a single layer or a plurality of layers.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 11, the first adhesive layer 621 includes three

sub-layers

6211, 6212, 6213, which overlap in sequence. The second adhesive layer 622 includes three

sublayers

6221, 6222, 6223, which are sequentially overlapping.

The second adhesive layer 622 may include a first region 622A and a second region 622B. The first region 622A can be understood as a portion where the second adhesive layer 622 and the first adhesive layer 621 do not overlap, and the second region 622B can be understood as a portion where the second adhesive layer 622 and the first adhesive layer 621 overlap. The transmittance of the first region 622A is greater than that of the second region 622B, so that a signal can sequentially transmit through the first region 622A, the first adhesive layer 621, and the cover plate 61, and sequentially transmit through the cover plate 61, the first adhesive layer 621, and the first region 622A after being reflected by the external object 200.

Wherein the first adhesive layer 621 covers the first area 622A of the second adhesive layer 622 such that the first area 622A is not visible from the outside of the terminal 100.

In some embodiments, when the second adhesive layer 622 is a black ink layer, the black ink of the first region 622A may be treated so that the transmittance of the region is greater than that of the second region 622B.

In some embodiments, the first region 622A may be provided as a through hole, where the transmittance of the region is 100%, and the first adhesive layer 621 covers the through hole. In some embodiments, the through holes of the first region 622A may be filled with a material that is transparent to signals.

Referring to fig. 12, in some embodiments, the first region 622A may be provided with two through holes, so that a signal may exit from one through hole and enter from the other through hole after being reflected by an external object.

It is understood that the first area 622A is an area defined by the first adhesive layer 621 and the second adhesive layer 622. The area may be a through hole or a material through which a signal can pass.

Referring to fig. 13, fig. 13 is a schematic structural diagram of a cover plate assembly according to an embodiment of the invention. The cover assembly 70 may include a cover 71 and a sensor assembly 72 disposed on one side of the cover 71. The cover 71 is spaced apart from the sensor assembly 72. The cover plate 71 may be a transparent glass cover plate.

In some embodiments, the cover 71 may also be a transparent cover made of other materials, for example, a transparent cover made of organic materials.

The sensor assembly 72 may include a first signal receiver 721, a second signal receiver 722, and a circuit board 723. The first signal receiver 721 and the second signal receiver 722 are provided on a circuit board 723. The first signal receiver 721 and the second signal receiver 722 may be packaged to form a package. The first signal receiver 721 and the second signal receiver 722 are used for receiving the signal transmitted through the cover 71 after being reflected by the external object 300.

Referring to fig. 14, the cover member 70 may further include an adhesive layer 73 disposed on the cover 71 on a side thereof adjacent to the sensor member 72. The adhesion layer 73 may include a first adhesion layer 731 and a second adhesion layer 732. The first adhesive layer 731 is disposed on the cover 71 on a side thereof adjacent to the sensor element 72, and the second adhesive layer 732 is disposed on the first adhesive layer 731 on a side thereof adjacent to the sensor element 72.

The transmittance of the first adhesive layer 731 is greater than that of the second adhesive layer 732. For example, the transmittance of the first adhesive layer 731 may be 80% or more, and the transmittance of the second adhesive layer 732 may be 10% or less.

In practical applications, the first adhesion layer 731 can be a transmissive layer for transmitting signals. The second attachment layer 732 may be a shielding layer for shielding signals.

In some embodiments, the first adhesion layer 731 can be a white ink layer and the second adhesion layer 732 can be a black ink layer. In some embodiments, the first attachment layer 731 may include three

sub-layers

7311, 7312, 7313, which sequentially overlap.

The second adhesive layer 732 may include a first region 7321 and a second region 7322. The transmittance of the first region 7321 is greater than that of the second region 7322.

Wherein the first adhesive layer 731 covers the first area 7321 of the second adhesive layer 732 so that the first area 7321 is not visible from the outside of the terminal.

In some embodiments, when the second adhesive layer 732 is a black ink layer, the black ink of the first region 7321 may be treated to make the transmittance of the region greater than that of the second region 7322.

In some embodiments, the first area 7321 may be provided as two through

holes

7321A and 7321B, where the transmittance of the first area 7321 is 100%, and the first adhesion layer 731 covers the two through holes.

Sensor assembly 72 may also include a signal emitter 724 and an ambient light sensor 725. Signal emitter 724 and ambient light sensor 725 are disposed on circuit board 723. The signal emitter 724 and the ambient light sensor 725 are each spaced apart from the package formed by the signal receiver 721 and the signal receiver 722. The signal transmitter 724 is used for transmitting a signal outwards. Ambient light sensor 725 is used to detect the intensity of ambient light.

In practical applications, the signal emitter 724 can be used to emit infrared rays to the outside through the through hole 7321A, and the infrared rays pass through the first adhesive layer 731 and the cover plate 71 to reach the outside, and form a reflected signal after being reflected by the external object 300. The reflected signal passes through the cover 71, the first adhesion layer 731, and the through hole 7321B to reach the signal receiver 721 and the signal receiver 722. At this time, the terminal may determine whether the terminal is in a close state or a distant state from the external object 300 by the strength of the signals received by the signal receiver 721 and the signal receiver 722.

The embodiment of the invention also relates to a method for judging the approaching state between the terminal and the external object. In practical application, the method for the terminal to judge the approaching state with the external object is as follows:

with continued reference to fig. 14, signal emitter 724 emits infrared light. The infrared ray is reflected by the external object 300 to form a reflected signal. The signal receiver 721 and the signal receiver 722 receive the reflected signal. The terminal determines the proximity state between the terminal and the external object 300 by the intensity of the reflected signal received by the signal receiver 721 and the signal receiver 722. The approaching state includes approaching and departing.

In practical applications, as shown in fig. 15, the signal emitter 724 emits infrared rays when the terminal is not blocked by any object. When the infrared ray passes through the first adhesive layer 731, a part of the infrared ray is diffracted in the first adhesive layer 731, and the diffracted infrared ray enters the signal receiver 722. The signal receiver 722 detects a signal strength value received at this time and transmits the signal strength value information to the signal receiver 721. The signal strength value may be referred to as a base value.

Since the terminal is not blocked by any object at this time, all of the infrared rays received by the signal receiver 722 come from diffraction of the infrared rays in the first adhesive layer 731.

Subsequently, the signal receiver 722 no longer receives the infrared ray, and the signal receiver 721 starts receiving the infrared ray. The diffraction signal from the first adhesive layer 731 enters the signal receiver 721 at the same time. Therefore, theoretically, the intensity of the infrared ray received by the signal receiver 721 should be greater than or equal to the basic value.

When the intensity of the infrared ray received by the signal receiver 721 is equal to the base value, it indicates that the received infrared ray is all from the diffraction signal in the first adhesive layer 731, and the intensity of the infrared ray reflected by the received external object is zero, so the detection value of the signal receiver 721 is zero.

When the intensity of the infrared ray received by the signal receiver 721 is greater than the base value, it indicates that a part of the received infrared ray is reflected from an external object. The detection value of the signal receiver 721 at this time is greater than zero. The detection value is a portion exceeding the base value.

In practical applications, a threshold may be set in the terminal in advance. The threshold may be a signal strength value. For example, the threshold is 500. After the signal receiver 721 obtains the detection value, the terminal determines the magnitude relationship between the detection value and the threshold. When the detection value of the signal receiver 721 is larger than the threshold value, it can be determined that the terminal and the external object are in the proximity state. When the detection value is less than or equal to the threshold value, it can be judged that the terminal and the external object are in a distant state. For example, the threshold value is 500, and it can be determined that the terminal is in the close state when the detection value is 600, and it can be determined that the terminal is in the distant state when the detection value is 400.

When the sensor assembly 50 includes only one signal receiver, the signal intensity value received by the signal receiver is compared with a preset threshold value, and the magnitude relationship between the signal intensity value and the preset threshold value is determined, that is, whether the terminal and the external object are in the close state or the remote state is determined. For example, when the received signal strength value is greater than a preset threshold value, it is determined that the terminal and the external object are in a close state; and when the signal intensity value is smaller than the preset threshold value, judging that the terminal is away from the external object.

In practical application, the terminal can judge the approaching state in the communication process. When the terminal is judged to be in a close state with the face of the user, the display screen of the terminal can be controlled to be turned off so as to prevent the user from carrying out misoperation on the terminal. And when the terminal is judged to be away from the face of the user, controlling the display screen of the terminal to be lightened.

The above detailed description of the cover plate assembly and the terminal provided by the embodiments of the present invention has been provided, and the principles and embodiments of the present invention are described herein using specific examples, which are provided only to help understanding the present invention and its core ideas. Meanwhile, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of the present invention, there may be variations in the specific embodiments and the application scope, and in summary, the content of the present specification should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

Claims

1. The cover plate assembly is characterized by comprising a cover plate and an ink layer, wherein the cover plate comprises an appearance surface and an inner surface which are arranged oppositely; the ink layer is arranged on the inner surface of the cover plate and comprises dopants, so that the transmittance of the ink layer to infrared rays is between 2% and 20%;

the ink layer comprises a functional area, the functional area is hidden on the appearance surface of the cover plate and used for signal transmission of the sensor assembly, the functional area is a blind hole formed from one side far away from the inner surface of the cover plate to the direction close to one side of the appearance surface of the cover plate, and the blind hole does not penetrate through the ink layer.

2. The cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the ink layer has a visible light transmittance of between 2% and 10%.

3. The lid assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dopant is polyurethane.

4. The cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the functional area is a camera aperture.

5. The cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the functional area is a receiver aperture.

6. The cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the functional area is a sensor aperture.

7. A terminal comprising a housing and a cover assembly mounted on the housing, the cover assembly being as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The terminal of claim 7, further comprising a sensor assembly mounted within the housing, the sensor assembly being disposed at the functional area location.

9. The terminal of claim 8, wherein the sensor assembly includes a signal transmitter and a signal receiver, the signal transmitter and the signal receiver being spaced apart.

10. A terminal according to claim 9, characterised in that the distance between the signal transmitter and the signal receiver is between 2 and 12 mm.

11. The terminal of claim 10, wherein the number of signal transmitters is two.

12. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the two signal emitters are encapsulated.

13. A terminal as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12, characterised in that the number of signal receivers is two.

14. The terminal of claim 13, wherein the two signal receivers are encapsulated.

15. A terminal according to any of claims 9 to 12, wherein the sensor assembly further comprises an ambient light sensor spaced from the signal emitter and the signal receiver.

16. The terminal of claim 15, wherein the ambient light sensor is encapsulated with the signal emitter and the signal receiver.

17. The terminal of claim 16, further comprising a circuit board, the sensor assembly being disposed on the circuit board.