WO2017008444A1

WO2017008444A1 - Communication device metal housing and manufacturing method therefor

Info

Publication number: WO2017008444A1
Application number: PCT/CN2015/098293
Authority: WO
Inventors: 廖重重; 陈梁
Original assignee: 比亚迪股份有限公司
Priority date: 2015-07-15
Filing date: 2015-12-22
Publication date: 2017-01-19
Also published as: CN106358408B; CN106358408A

Abstract

A communication device metal housing and a manufacturing method therefor. The communication device metal housing comprises: a metal substrate (1); a groove (4), where the groove (4) is provided on the inner surface of the metal substrate (1); a decorative layer (7), where the decorative layer (7) covers the outer surface of the metal substrate (1); and an oxide film layer (9), where the oxide film layer (9) runs through a portion of the metal substrate in the area of the groove.

Description

Communication device metal casing and preparation method thereof

Technical field

The present invention relates to the field of materials, and in particular, to a metal casing for a communication device and a method of manufacturing the same.

Background technique

The mobile phone antenna is a device for receiving signals on a mobile phone. At present, the antenna of the smart phone is mostly an internal antenna, which requires that the mobile phone case cannot shield the signal. A mobile phone with a plastic case does not have the above problems. However, since the metal case has a more beautiful texture, wear resistance and scratch resistance, the metal case gradually replaces the plastic case for use in a communication device such as a mobile phone. For the emerging metal body phone, how to solve the signal shielding problem is one of the keys to its design and manufacture.

At present, metal mobile phones use antenna slot and injection molding to solve the problem of signal shielding of the fuselage, such as the upper and lower antenna slots of HTC ONE, and the side antenna slots of iphone5/5s. The above prior art all prevents the shielding of the signal by filling the antenna slot with plastic, but it causes certain damage to the overall structure of the metal mobile phone body, which affects the overall cleanliness and continuity of the appearance. At the same time, the plastic visible in the outer casing destroys the overall metallic texture of the fuselage.

Summary of the invention

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to overcome the above problems in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides a metal casing for a communication device and a method of manufacturing the same. The metal casing of the communication device provided by the invention has an invisible appearance of the antenna slot, and the appearance of the metal casing is neat, smooth and uniform, and the metal texture is obvious.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a metal casing for a communication device, wherein the metal casing of the communication device comprises: a metal substrate; a groove, the groove is disposed on an inner surface of the metal substrate; and a decorative layer, The decorative layer covers an outer surface of the metal substrate; and an oxide film layer penetrating a portion of the metal substrate of the recessed region. The metal casing of the communication device can realize the transmission of communication signals while maintaining the overall metal texture and metal continuity.

In other words, the metal casing includes a metal substrate, a groove, an oxide film layer, and a decorative layer covering the outer surface of the metal substrate; the opening of the groove is located on the inner surface of the metal substrate; the oxide film The layer is on a portion of the metal substrate of the recessed region and extends through the metal substrate in a thickness direction.

The invention also provides a method for preparing a metal casing of a communication device, wherein the method comprises the steps of: 1) forming a first protective layer on a predetermined portion of the inner surface of the metal substrate; 2) on the inner surface of the metal substrate a region other than the predetermined portion forms a groove; 3) removing the first protective layer, then forming a second protective layer on an inner surface of the metal substrate, and a second protective layer in the groove Forming an opening through the second protective layer; 4) performing hard anodizing on the metal substrate obtained in step 3) to form an oxide film a layer and a decorative layer; and 5) removing the second protective layer. Thereby, it is possible to pass a communication signal through the metal casing while maintaining the overall uniformity of the appearance of the metal casing and the metallic texture.

In other words, the above methods include:

1) a step of forming a first protective layer on a surface of the metal substrate that needs to form a surface other than the groove;

2) a step of forming a groove on the inner surface side of the metal substrate;

3) a step of forming a second protective layer on the inner surface of the metal substrate after removing the first protective layer, and forming an opening through the second protective layer in the recess;

4) a step of subjecting the metal substrate obtained in the step 3) to a hard anodizing treatment;

5) a step of removing the second protective layer.

The metal casing of the communication device obtained by the method of the present invention has a groove, and an oxide film layer penetrating the metal substrate in a thickness direction on a part of the metal substrate of the groove region, the groove and the oxidation The film layer is used for communication signals to achieve normal communication functions. The metal casing of the communication device provided by the invention has the antenna groove not visible, the oxide film layer and the decorative layer are integrally formed, and the metal casing is neat, smooth, flat and uniform, and the metal texture is obvious.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be described in detail in the detailed description which follows.

DRAWINGS

The drawings are intended to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are intended to be a In the drawing:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1A is a schematic illustration of a portion of a process for preparing a metal casing of a communication device of the present invention.

Fig. 1B is a schematic view showing another part of the process of preparing the metal casing of the communication device of the present invention.

Description of the reference signs:

1 metal substrate

2 shielding parts

3 first protective layer

4 grooves

5 second protective layer

6 openings

7 decorative layer

8 filler

9 oxide film layer

detailed description

Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. It is to be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not restrictive.

In one aspect of the invention, the invention provides a metal housing for a communication device. According to an embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG. 1B(i), the metal casing includes a metal substrate 1, a groove 4, a decorative layer 7, and an oxide film layer 9. The appearance of the metal casing has a continuous metal texture and can realize signal transmission of a communication device.

In other words, the metal housing of the communication device comprises a metal substrate 1, a recess 4, an oxide film layer 9 and a decorative layer 7 covering the outer surface of the metal substrate 1; the oxide film layer 9 is located in the recess The metal substrate 1 is penetrated on a part of the metal substrate of the region and in the thickness direction.

In the present invention, the communication device may be, for example, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a Bluetooth headset, or the like. In some embodiments of the invention, the metal housing of the communication device is a metal casing of a mobile phone.

In the present invention, the inner surface (lower surface) of the metal casing is defined as a surface of the metal casing facing the inside of the communication device when it is used in a communication device. It will be understood that the outer surface (upper surface) of the metal casing is defined as the surface of the metal casing facing the outside when it is used in a communication device. Further, the inner and outer surfaces (lower and upper surfaces) of the metal substrate for preparing the metal outer casing are also applicable to the above definition.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the metal casing may have a plurality of grooves 4 for better communication of communication signals. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the inner surfaces of the plurality of grooves can form a plurality of oxide film layers 9 penetrating the metal substrate, and further, the same groove 4 can form a plurality of oxidations through the metal substrate. Film layer 9. The specific number and corresponding relationship of the oxide film layer 9 and the groove 4 are not particularly limited, and those skilled in the art can set the above parameters according to the specific conditions of the signal transmission of the communication device, as long as the groove 4 is disposed in the metal substrate 1. The surface, and the oxide film layer 9 is formed at the groove 4 and penetrates a part of the metal substrate 1 at the groove 4. In addition, it should be noted that although only two grooves are schematically shown in (i) of 1B, the metal casing of the communication device of the present invention may obviously have a plurality of grooves.

In the present invention, the material of the metal substrate may be various metals commonly used in communication equipment in the art, such as aluminum alloy, stainless steel, magnesium alloy or titanium alloy, etc. In some embodiments of the present invention, The metal substrate is made of an aluminum alloy.

The thickness of the metal substrate is not particularly limited, and those skilled in the art can appropriately select according to a specific communication device. For example, the metal substrate may have a thickness of 0.3-0.6 mm. In some embodiments of the invention, the metal substrate has a thickness of 0.3-0.5 mm. In other embodiments of the invention, The metal substrate has a thickness of 0.3 to 0.4 mm. Therefore, the metal substrate can be ensured to have a certain mechanical strength, and the current communication equipment can meet the requirement that the thickness of the outer casing tends to be slim.

In the present invention, the groove and the oxide film layer are used to ensure signal transmission between the antenna and the outside world to realize communication (ie, an antenna slot).

The groove may have a depth of 0.22-0.5 mm for the groove, and in some embodiments of the invention, the groove has a depth of 0.22-0.4 mm. In some embodiments of the invention, the groove The depth is 0.22-0.3mm.

The grooves may have a width of 3-5 mm, and in some embodiments of the invention, the grooves have a width of 3-4 mm.

The grooves may have a length of 10-100 mm, and in some embodiments of the invention, the grooves have a length of 10-60 mm.

In addition, when there are a plurality of grooves, the spacing between adjacent two grooves may be 2-5 mm, and in some embodiments of the invention, the spacing between adjacent grooves is 2-3 mm. In addition, the number of grooves may be, for example, 1-200. In some embodiments of the invention, the number of grooves is 5-50.

It should be noted that the size, the number, and the arrangement of the grooves are not particularly limited. Those skilled in the art can randomly arrange and combine the parameters of the grooves 4 within the above range according to actual needs. The inventors have found that when the size of the above-mentioned groove is too large, the overall mechanical strength of the metal substrate 1 is affected, so that the metal casing is easily deformed, broken, etc. during use; and when the size of the groove is When it is too small, it is easy to adversely affect the signal transmission of the communication device. The inventors have found through extensive use that when the size of the groove is within the above range, signal transmission of most current communication devices can be ensured, and the metal casing can maintain reliable mechanical strength.

With respect to the above oxide film layer 9, referring to FIG. 1B(i), the oxide film layer 9 penetrates a part of the metal substrate of the groove region, that is, the metal film of the oxide film layer 9 penetrating through the corresponding position of the oxide film layer 9 in the vertical direction. However, the oxide film layer 9 is disposed only at a partial position of the groove region, that is, the width of the oxide film layer 9 is smaller than the width of the groove 4. In other words, a slit filled with the oxide film layer 9 is formed on the metal substrate for the signal to pass, and the decorative layer covers the outer surface of the metal substrate, so that the slit can be oriented in the direction of the outer surface of the metal substrate. It is not visible for use, and in addition, the filling of the oxide film layer 9 with respect to the slit can further improve the overall mechanical properties of the metal casing. Specifically, the oxide film layer may have a depth of 0.08-0.15 mm. In some embodiments of the invention, the oxide film layer has a depth of 0.08-0.12 mm. In some embodiments of the invention, the oxide film layer The depth is 0.08-0.1mm.

The oxide film layer may have a width of 80 to 120 μm. In some embodiments of the present invention, the oxide film layer has a width of 90 to 110 μm.

The oxide film layer may have a length of 10 to 100 mm. In some embodiments of the invention, the oxide film layer has a length of 10 to 60 mm; in some embodiments of the invention, the groove and the oxidation The length of the film layer is the same.

It should be noted that those skilled in the art can freely arrange and combine the relevant parameters of the oxide film layer 9 within the above range. 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views of a metal casing according to an embodiment of the present invention, the width of which is a groove, an oxide film layer and the like in the horizontal direction in the drawing, and grooves and oxidation in the vertical direction in the drawing. Membrane Depth, the length of the above components is not shown in the drawing.

According to the invention, the metal housing of the communication device further has a decorative layer on the outer surface of the metal substrate, the decorative layer covering the outer surface of the metal substrate, that is, covering the groove and the oxide film layer.

According to the present invention, the thickness of the decorative layer is not particularly limited and may be a conventional thickness in the art. For example, the decorative layer may have a thickness of 40-90 μm, and in some embodiments of the invention, the decorative layer has a thickness of 50-80 μm. Thereby, it is possible to provide additional protection to the outer surface of the metal casing of the communication device, and to ensure that the metal casing has a metallic texture.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the formation of the oxide film layer and the decorative layer is not particularly limited, and those skilled in the art can select a method of forming an oxide film layer and a decorative layer by a familiar method. In the present invention, in some embodiments of the invention, the decorative layer is integrally formed with the oxide film layer.

In some embodiments of the invention, the decorative layer and the oxide film layer are both hard anodized oxide film layers. Thereby, the decorative layer and the oxide film layer can be conveniently formed by hard anodizing. That is, in some embodiments of the invention, the oxide film layer and the decorative layer are integrally formed by hard anodization.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG. 1B(j), the metal housing of the communication device may further include: a filler member 8. Specifically, the filler 8 is disposed in the recess 4. That is, in some embodiments of the invention, the communication device metal housing further includes a filler member, the filler member being located in the recess. In some embodiments of the invention, the filler is formed from a UV curable glue, that is, the filler 8 is formed by filling the slit with glue and curing. Thereby, the overall mechanical properties of the metal casing can be improved by the filler member, and the mechanical strength drop due to the thinness of the metal substrate at the groove can be alleviated.

In some embodiments of the invention, the glue is a UV glue. For example, the 3211 model UV glue purchased from Loctite Corporation.

In another aspect of the invention, the invention provides a method of making a metal casing for a communication device. According to an embodiment of the invention, the method comprises:

1) forming a first protective layer

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in this step, a first protective layer is formed at a predetermined portion of the inner surface of the metal substrate. Wherein, the preset portion is a position of an inner surface of the metal substrate that needs to form a groove in a subsequent step. That is, in this step, a surface other than the groove is required to form a first protective layer on the inner surface of the metal substrate. In some embodiments of the invention, the step is to shield the inner surface of the metal substrate from the portion where the groove is to be formed, and to form a protective layer in a region other than the shielding portion of the metal substrate.

The purpose of the step 1) is to shield the inner surface of the metal substrate from the portion where the groove needs to be formed, to prevent the formation of the protective layer in the shielding region, thereby ensuring that only the shielded portion is etched in the subsequent step.

According to the present invention, as a method of masking a portion where a groove needs to be formed on the inner surface of the metal substrate, The first protective layer may be formed in a region other than the shielding portion of the metal substrate by a conventional method in the art, for example, by coating the portion on which the groove is to be formed on the inner surface of the metal substrate with an insulating tape.

The above insulating tape may be, for example, an insulating tape purchased from Shenzhen Ximeng Electronics Co., Ltd.

As a method of forming the above first protective layer, the protective layer can be formed by a method conventional in the art. In some embodiments of the invention, the method of forming the first protective layer described above is to form the protective layer by electrophoresis and/or spraying.

The conditions for the electrophoresis may include: a temperature of 29-31 degrees Celsius, an electrophoresis voltage of 120-140 V, a pH of 7-9, and a time of 1-3 min. In addition, the electrophoresis liquid may be an electrophoretic liquid containing a matt lacquer (WNO-1) of Nippon Seisakusho Co., Ltd. and a varnish (NNO-4) of Nippon Seisakusho Co., Ltd., and a matt lacquer of Japan Shimizu Co., Ltd. The weight ratio of WNO-1) to Nippon Shimizu Co., Ltd. varnish (NNO-4) may be 0-4:1, and in some embodiments of the present invention, matte lacquer (WNO-1) of Japan Shimizu Corporation The weight ratio of the varnish (NNO-4) of Japan Shimizu Co., Ltd. is 7:3. Additionally, the electrophoretic fluid may have a solids content of from 8 to 15% by weight. In some embodiments of the invention, the electrophoretic fluid has a solids content of 13% by weight.

The protective layer is formed by spraying, and the spraying method can be divided into three coatings by a method known in the art, such as spraying, including a primer (16-20 μm), a medium lacquer (16-25 μm), and a topcoat (18). -26 μm).

The thickness of the protective layer obtained by the above method is 25-45 μm. In some embodiments of the present invention, the thickness of the protective layer obtained by the above method is 35-45 μm, and in some embodiments of the present invention, the thickness of the protective layer It is 30-40 μm.

2) forming a groove

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in this step, a groove is formed on the inner surface of the metal substrate, and the groove is provided in a region other than the predetermined portion. In some embodiments of the invention, the step of forming a recess on the inner surface side of the metal substrate is to expose a shadowed region of the inner surface of the metal substrate and etch the region to form the recess.

In the present invention, the width of the groove may be 3-5 mm, and in some embodiments of the invention, the width of the groove is 3-4 mm.

The length of the groove can be 10-100 mm.

The depth of the grooves may be from 0.22 to 0.5 mm. In some embodiments of the invention, the depth of the grooves is from 0.22 to 0.4 mm. In some embodiments of the invention, the depth of the grooves is from 0.22 to 0.3 mm. The depth of the above grooves can be achieved by etching as described later.

Further, the number of the grooves is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 1 to 200. In some embodiments of the present invention, the number of the grooves is 5 to 50. When the number of grooves is plural, the spacing between adjacent two grooves may be 2-5 mm, and in some embodiments of the invention, the spacing between adjacent grooves is 2-3 mm.

Regarding the specific parameters of the length, depth and width of the above groove, those skilled in the art can design according to the communication. The specific conditions of the standby signal transmission are selected. The inventors have found that when the size of the above-mentioned groove is too large, the overall mechanical strength of the metal substrate 1 is affected, so that the metal casing is easily deformed, broken, etc. during use; and when the size of the groove is When it is too small, it is easy to adversely affect the signal transmission of the communication device. The inventors have found through extensive use that when the size of the groove is within the above range, signal transmission of most current communication devices can be ensured, and the metal casing can maintain reliable mechanical strength.

Further, in this step, the thickness of the metal substrate of the region other than the predetermined portion by the etching, that is, the thickness of the metal substrate at the position corresponding to the metal substrate and the groove is 0.08-0.15 mm, in some of the present invention In an embodiment, the etching is such that the metal substrate of the region has a thickness of 0.08-0.12 mm. In some embodiments of the invention, the etching is such that the metal substrate of the region has a thickness of 0.08-0.1 mm.

In some embodiments of the invention, the etchant is a solution containing 50-60 g/L sodium hydroxide, 50-60 g/L sodium carbonate, and 50-60 g/L sodium nitrate.

Further, the temperature and time of etching are such that the thickness of the metal substrate of the masking region is in the above range, but usually the etching conditions include a temperature of 35 to 45 degrees Celsius and a time of 30 to 70 minutes.

Thereby, grooves having an appropriate size, number, and arrangement can be formed on the inner surface of the metal substrate.

3) Forming an opening

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in this step, the first protective layer is removed, a second protective layer is formed on the inner surface of the metal substrate, and an opening is formed in the second protective layer in the groove formed in the front, the opening Through the second protective layer.

In some embodiments of the invention, the second protective layer is a UV ink layer.

That is, in some embodiments of the present invention, step 3) is: removing the first protective layer on the surface of the metal substrate, and forming a UV ink layer on the inner surface of the metal substrate as the second protective layer, and then in the Exposing the second protective layer to a groove of 80-120 μm wide in the groove, that is, removing a portion of the second protective layer by exposure development, forming an opening of 80-120 μm wide on the second protective layer, the metal corresponding to the opening The substrate is partially exposed.

In this step, the first protective layer on the surface of the metal substrate is first removed. As a method for removing the first protective layer on the surface of the metal substrate, various methods commonly used in the art may be used, for example, a method of immersing the paint remover may be employed. To remove the first protective layer. The paint stripper may be, for example, a paint stripper of the SH-665 model purchased from Dongguan Sihui Surface Treatment Technology Co., Ltd. The soaking time is usually 10-20 min.

After removing the first protective layer on the surface of the metal substrate, a UV ink layer is formed on the inner surface of the metal substrate. The method of forming a UV ink layer on the inner surface of the metal substrate may employ various methods and conditions commonly used in the art, for example, baking at 70-90 degrees Celsius after spraying UV ink on the inner surface of the metal substrate. 30 minutes.

The UV ink may be, for example, a 5680-based UV ink.

In the present invention, the thickness of the ink layer formed by the above method is not particularly limited and may be a conventional thickness in the art, for example, the thickness may be 10 to 30 μm, and in some embodiments of the present invention, the thickness is 10 - 20μm.

After the formation of the UV ink layer, a groove of 80-120 μm wide is developed and exposed in the groove. In some embodiments of the invention, a 90-110 [mu]m wide slot is developed in the recess. The conditions for the exposure development may be those known in the art, for example, may be 1-4 min, and the light intensity is 700-900 mJ/cm ² . In some embodiments of the invention, the exposure development condition is time. At 2 min, the light intensity was 800 mJ/cm ² .

4) performing hard anodization on the metal substrate obtained in the step 3) to form an oxide film layer and a decorative layer

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in this step, a decorative layer is formed on the upper surface of the metal substrate by a hard anodizing treatment at the opening in the recess of the lower surface of the metal substrate (the metal substrate at the opening is exposed) Forming an oxide film layer penetrating the metal substrate. Thereby, the passage and transmission of signals can be achieved by the grooves and the oxide film layer. According to the present invention, the specific conditions of the hard anodizing treatment may be various conditions known in the art. In some embodiments of the present invention, the conditions of the hard anodizing treatment include: the oxidizing solution is a solution containing 170-270 g/L sulfuric acid and 8-20 g/L oxalic acid, the temperature is 5-12 degrees Celsius, and the pulse wave type It is a positive square wave pulse with a duty cycle of 60-80%, a frequency of 500-1000 Hz, a current density of 3-7 A/dm ² , and an oxidation time of 30-60 min.

Further, in order to improve the efficiency and effect of forming the oxide film layer and the decorative layer in this step, according to the present invention, the metal substrate obtained in the step 3) may be subjected to hard anodization in advance before the hard anodizing treatment. Pre-processing. Specifically, the above pretreatment may include alkaline etching liquid etching, nitric acid ash removal, and chemical polishing treatment.

In some embodiments of the invention, the method of pre-processing is performed using the following steps:

(1) at 50-70 degrees Celsius, the metal substrate is alkali-etched in an alkali etching solution for 1-2 min, and then washed twice with deionized water;

(2) At 10-35 degrees Celsius, the light is emitted in the light-emitting liquid for 3-5 minutes, and then washed twice with deionized water;

(3) Polishing in a chemical polishing liquid for 10-30 s at 10-35 degrees Celsius, and then washing twice with deionized water.

In some embodiments of the invention, the alkaline etching solution is a 50-60 g/L aqueous sodium hydroxide solution; in some embodiments of the invention, the light-emitting liquid is 200-300 ml/L aqueous nitric acid solution; In an embodiment, the decanting liquid is an aqueous solution containing 650-750 ml/L phosphoric acid and 350-250 ml/L sulfuric acid.

In the present invention, a UV ink layer is formed on the inner surface of the metal substrate by the above step 3), and has a groove body of 80-120 μm wide developed by exposure in the groove. Therefore, when the hard anodizing treatment is performed in this step, a hard anodized film layer can be formed on the outer surface of the metal substrate not protected by the UV ink layer and the groove body exposed and developed in the groove. Thereby, the communication signal is passed through the groove and the oxide film layer to realize a normal communication function.

5): remove the second protective layer

In this step, the second protective layer (i.e., the UV ink layer) on the inner surface of the hard anodized metal substrate is removed. Specifically, the above method of removing the second protective layer may employ various methods conventionally used in the art, for example, a paint stripping method may be employed to remove the second sheath. The paint stripper can be, for example, purchased from Dongguan The paint remover of SH-665 model of Sihui Surface Treatment Technology Co., Ltd. The soaking time is usually 10-20 min.

In addition, in order to further improve the overall mechanical properties of the metal shell prepared by the method, the method may further comprise:

6) Forming a filler

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in this step, the groove is filled with a UV curable glue (i.e., UV glue) and cured to form a filler at the groove. The metal casing structure formed with the filler member 8 is shown in Fig. 1B(j). That is, in some embodiments of the invention, the method further includes the step of filling the recess with UV glue and curing.

The UV glue may be various UV glues commonly used in the art, such as the 3211 model UV glue purchased from Loctite Corporation. In addition, the curing method of the UV glue can be carried out by a conventional method in the art, for example, the curing time can be 3-8 min, the light intensity is 700-900 mJ/cm ² , and in some embodiments of the invention, the curing time can be 5 min. The light intensity is 800 mJ/cm ² .

According to some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, the method for preparing the metal casing of the communication device of the present invention comprises the following steps:

(1) As shown in (a) of FIG. 1A, a portion of the inner surface of the metal substrate 1 to be formed with the recess 4 is shielded by a shield member (in some embodiments of the present invention, the shield member is an insulating tape);

(2) As shown in (b) of FIG. 1A, under the condition that the shielding member 2 shields the inner surface of the metal substrate 1 from the area where the groove 4 is to be formed, the first region other than the shielding portion of the metal substrate 1 is formed. Protective layer (in some embodiments of the invention, the first protective layer is an electrophoretic paint layer) 3;

(3) as shown in (c) and (d) of Figure 1A, the shielding area of the inner surface of the metal substrate 1 is exposed, and the area is etched to form the groove 4;

(4) As shown in (e) of FIG. 1A and (f) of FIG. 1B, the first protective layer 3 on the surface of the metal substrate 1 is removed, and a second protective layer (UV ink layer) is formed on the inner surface of the metal substrate. )5;

(5) as shown in (g) of Figure 1B, in the groove 4 exposed to develop an opening 6 of 80-120 μm wide;

(6) As shown in (h) of FIG. 1B, the metal substrate obtained in the step 3) is subjected to hard anodization to form an oxide film layer 9 and a decorative layer 7, and the oxide film layer 9 and the decorative layer 7 are integrated. Forming a hard anodized oxide film layer;

(7) As shown in (i) and (j) of FIG. 1B, the UV ink layer 5 on the inner surface of the hard anodized metal substrate 1 is removed, and the groove 4 is filled with UV glue and solidified to form Filler 8.

In summary, the above method includes the following steps:

2) a step of forming a groove on the inner surface side of the metal substrate;

5) a step of removing the second protective layer.

The invention will be described in detail below by way of examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In addition, unless otherwise stated, methods which do not specifically describe the conditions or steps are conventional methods, and the reagents and materials used are commercially available.

Example 1

1) Aluminum alloy (purchased from Dongguan Gangxiang Metal Materials Co., Ltd., grade 6063, thickness 0.4mm) was cut into a metal substrate of 15mm x 80mm. In the inner surface of the metal substrate, a portion of the groove is required to be formed with an insulating tape (purchased from Shenzhen Ximeng Electronics Co., Ltd., the same below), wherein two insulating tapes are attached, and the insulating tape has a width of 3 mm and a length of 75 mm. The spacing between adjacent insulating tapes is 3 mm.

A protective layer is formed by electrophoresis, wherein the electrophoresis conditions are: a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, a voltage of 160 V, a time of 2 min, and a pH of 7.8; and an electrophoresis liquid: a matt paint (WNO-1) of Japan Shimizu Corporation: Nippon Shimizu Co., Ltd. varnish (NNO-4) = 7:3 (weight ratio, solid content of the electrophoresis liquid: 13% by weight), and a protective layer of 35 μm was obtained.

2) The insulating tape is removed, and the insulating tape shielding region is etched to obtain a groove, and the metal substrate of the groove region has a thickness of about 0.08 mm. The etching solution used was a solution containing 50 g/L sodium hydroxide, 50 g/L sodium carbonate, and 50 g/L sodium nitrate under the conditions of a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius and a time of 54 minutes.

3) Remove the protective layer on the surface of the metal substrate by immersing with a paint stripper (the paint stripper is the paint remover of SH-665 model of Dongguan Sihui Surface Treatment Technology Co., Ltd., soaking time is 15 minutes), Then, 5680 series UV ink (purchased in Shenzhen Wanjiayuan Jinghua Technology Co., Ltd., the same below) was sprayed on the inner surface of the metal substrate and baked at 80 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes (the thickness of the formed UV ink layer was 15 μm) Then, ultraviolet exposure (exposure condition: time 2 min, ultraviolet light intensity: 800 mJ/cm ² ) was carried out, and a groove of 80 μm width was developed by exposure in the above-mentioned grooves.

4) The metal substrate obtained in the step 3) is alkali-etched in an alkali etching solution (55 g/L sodium hydroxide aqueous solution) at 50 ° C for 2 min, and then washed twice with deionized water; then, at 25 ° C, Light out in the light-emitting liquid (25 ml / L aqueous solution of nitric acid) for 4 min, then wash twice with deionized water; then, at 25 ° C, in the liquid swill (in an aqueous solution containing 750 ml / L phosphoric acid and 250 ml / L sulfuric acid) Polished for 20 s, then washed twice with deionized water; then dried at 80 ° C for 20 min to obtain a cleaned and dried metal substrate.

The dried metal substrate is subjected to hard anodization. The hard anodizing electrolyte is a solution containing 190 g/L of sulfuric acid and 10 g/L of oxalic acid under the following conditions: the pulse wave pattern is a forward square wave pulse, the duty ratio is 80%, the frequency is 800 Hz, and the current density is 5 A/dm. ² , the temperature is 8 degrees Celsius, the time is 50min.

5) Removing the UV ink layer on the inner surface of the hard anodized metal substrate by immersing with a paint stripper (the paint remover is the paint remover of SH-665 model of Dongguan Sihui Surface Treatment Technology Co., Ltd.) , soaking time is 15 minutes), and then, after filling the groove of the metal substrate with glue (purchased by Loctite's Model 3211 UV glue), the curing is carried out under the condition of ultraviolet light intensity of 800 mJ/cm ² . This gives the metal housing of the communication device.

As shown in (j) of FIG. 1B, the metal casing of the communication device prepared as described above comprises a metal substrate 1, a recess 4, an oxide film layer 9, a filling member 8, and a decorative layer covering the outer surface of the metal substrate 1. (hard anodic oxide film layer) 7; the opening of the groove 4 is located on the inner surface of the metal substrate 1; the oxide film layer (hard anodized film layer) 9 is located in a part of the metal of the groove region The metal substrate 1 is penetrated on the substrate and in the thickness direction, and is integrally formed with the decorative layer (hard anodized film layer) 7, and the filling member 8 fills the groove 4. The metal casing of the communication device has an antenna groove not visible, and the oxide film layer and the surface decoration layer are integrally formed, and the metal casing is neat, smooth, flat and uniform, and the metal texture is obvious.

Example 2

1) Aluminum alloy (purchased from Dongguan Gangxiang Metal Materials Co., Ltd., grade 6063, thickness 0.4mm) was cut into a metal substrate of 15mm x 80mm. An insulating tape is attached to a portion of the inner surface of the metal substrate where the groove is to be formed, wherein two insulating tapes are attached, the insulating tape has a width of 4 mm, a length of 75 mm, and a spacing between adjacent insulating tapes of 3 mm.

2) The insulating tape is removed, and the insulating tape shielding region is etched to obtain a groove, and the metal substrate of the groove region has a thickness of about 0.1 mm. The etching solution used was a solution containing 50 g/L of sodium hydroxide, 50 g/L of sodium carbonate, and 50 g/L of sodium nitrate under the conditions of a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius and a time of 51 minutes.

3) Remove the protective layer on the surface of the metal substrate by immersion with a paint stripper (the paint remover is the paint remover of SH-665 model of Dongguan Sihui Surface Treatment Technology Co., Ltd., soaking time is 15 minutes) and then After spraying the 5680 series UV ink on the inner surface of the metal substrate, baking at 80 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes (the thickness of the formed UV ink layer is 15 μm), and then performing ultraviolet exposure (exposure condition is time 2 min, ultraviolet light intensity is 800 mJ) /cm ² ), a 100 μm-wide tank was developed by exposure in the above grooves.

4) At 50 degrees Celsius, the metal substrate obtained in step 3) is in an alkali etching solution (55 g/L sodium hydroxide aqueous solution). Alkaline etching for 2 min, then washing with deionized water for 2 times; then, at 25 ° C, in the light-emitting liquid (25 ml / L aqueous solution of nitric acid) for 4 min, then washed twice with deionized water; then, at 25 ° C Polished in a liquid bath (for an aqueous solution containing 750ml/L phosphoric acid and 250ml/L sulfuric acid) for 20s, then washed twice with deionized water; then dried at 80 degrees Celsius for 20min to obtain a cleaned and dried metal substrate. .

The dried metal substrate is subjected to hard anodization. The hard anodizing electrolyte is a solution containing 190 g/L of sulfuric acid and 10 g/L of oxalic acid under the following conditions: the pulse wave pattern is a forward square wave pulse, the duty ratio is 80%, the frequency is 800 Hz, and the current density is 5.5 A/ Dm ² , temperature is 8 degrees Celsius, time is 50min.

Example 3

1) Aluminum alloy (purchased from Dongguan Gangxiang Metal Materials Co., Ltd., grade 6063, thickness 0.4mm) was cut into a metal substrate of 15mm x 80mm. In the inner surface of the metal substrate, a part of the groove is required to be covered with an insulating tape (purchased from Ximeng Company), in which two insulating tapes are attached, and the insulating tape has a width of 5 mm and a length of 75 mm, between adjacent insulating tapes. The spacing is 3mm.

2) The insulating tape is removed, and the insulating tape shielding region is etched to obtain a groove, and the metal substrate of the groove region has a thickness of about 0.12 μm. The etching solution used was a solution containing 50 g/L of sodium hydroxide, 50 g/L of sodium carbonate, and 50 g/L of sodium nitrate under the conditions of a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius and a time of 51 minutes.

3) Remove the protective layer on the surface of the metal substrate by immersing with a paint stripper (the paint remover is the paint remover of SH-665 model of Dongguan Sihui Surface Treatment Technology Co., Ltd., soaking time is 15 minutes), then After spraying the 5680 series UV ink on the inner surface of the metal substrate, baking at 80 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes (the thickness of the formed UV ink layer is 0.015 mm), and then performing ultraviolet exposure (exposure condition is time 2 min, ultraviolet light intensity is 800 mJ/cm ² ), a 120 μm-wide tank was developed by exposure in the above grooves.

4) The metal substrate obtained in the step 3) is alkali-etched in an alkali etching solution (55 g/L sodium hydroxide aqueous solution) at 50 ° C for 2 min, and then washed twice with deionized water; then, at 25 ° C, Light out in the light-emitting liquid (25ml/L aqueous solution of nitric acid) for 4min, then wash it twice with deionized water; then, polish at a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius (in 750ml/L phosphoric acid and 250ml/L sulfuric acid in water) 20s, then washed twice with deionized water; then dried at 80 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes to obtain a cleaned and dried metal substrate.

The dried metal substrate is subjected to hard anodization. The hard anodizing electrolyte is a solution containing 190 g/L of sulfuric acid and 10 g/L of oxalic acid under the following conditions: the pulse wave pattern is a forward square wave pulse, the duty ratio is 80%, the frequency is 800 Hz, and the current density is 6 A/dm. ² , the temperature is 8 degrees Celsius, the time is 50min.

5) removing the UV ink layer on the inner surface of the hard anodized metal substrate by immersing with a paint stripper (the paint remover is SH-665 paint remover of Dongguan Sihui Surface Treatment Technology Co., Ltd., soaking The time is 15 minutes), and then, the groove of the metal substrate is filled with glue (purchased by Loctite's Model 3211 UV glue) and cured under ultraviolet light intensity of 800 mJ/cm ² . Communication equipment metal casing.

Example 4

In the manner of the first embodiment, the difference is that two insulating tapes are attached. The insulating tape has a width of 5 mm and a length of 80 mm, and the spacing between adjacent insulating tapes is 3 mm, and the metal casing of the communication device is similarly obtained.

Example 5

In the same manner as in the first embodiment, the difference is that two insulating tapes are attached. The insulating tape has a width of 3 mm and a length of 60 mm, and the spacing between adjacent insulating tapes is 2 mm, and the metal casing of the communication device is similarly obtained.

Example 6

In the same manner as in the first embodiment, the difference is that two insulating tapes are attached. The insulating tape has a width of 3 mm and a length of 40 mm, and the spacing between adjacent insulating tapes is 2 mm, and the metal casing of the communication device is similarly obtained.

In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the orientations or positions of the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outside", etc. are understood. The relationship is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is merely for the convenience of the description of the invention and the simplification of the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to has a specific orientation, is constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus It is not to be understood as limiting the invention.

Some embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to the specific details of the above embodiments, and various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. These simple variants All fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

It should be further noted that the specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. To avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention has various possibilities. The combination method will not be described separately.

In addition, any combination of various embodiments of the invention may be made as long as it does not deviate from the idea of the invention, and it should be regarded as the disclosure of the invention.

Claims

A metal casing for a communication device, characterized in that the metal casing of the communication device comprises:

Metal substrate

a groove disposed on an inner surface of the metal substrate;

a decorative layer covering the outer surface of the metal substrate;

An oxide film layer penetrating a portion of the metal substrate of the recessed region.
The metal casing of a communication device according to claim 1, wherein said groove has a depth of 0.22-0.5 mm.
A metal casing for a communication device according to claim 2, wherein said groove has a depth of 0.22-0.4 mm.
A metal casing for a communication device according to claim 3, wherein said groove has a depth of 0.22-0.3 mm.
A metal casing for a communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the groove has a width of 3-5 mm.
A metal casing for a communication device according to claim 5, wherein said groove has a width of 3-4 mm.
A metal casing for a communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the groove has a length of 10 to 100 mm.
The metal casing of a communication device according to claim 7, wherein said groove has a length of 10 to 60 mm.
A metal casing for a communication device according to any one of claims 1-8, comprising a plurality of said grooves.
The metal casing of a communication device according to claim 9, wherein a spacing between adjacent two of said grooves is 2-5 mm.
A metal casing for a communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the oxide film layer has a depth of from 0.08 to 0.15 mm.
A metal casing for a communication device according to claim 11, wherein said oxide film layer has a depth of from 0.08 to 0.12 mm.
The metal casing of a communication device according to claim 12, wherein said oxide film layer has a depth of 0.08 to 0.1 mm.
The metal casing for a communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the oxide film layer has a width of 80 to 120 μm.
A metal casing for a communication device according to claim 14, wherein said oxide film layer The width is 90-110μm.
A metal casing for a communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the oxide film layer has a length of 10 to 100 mm.
A metal casing for a communication device according to claim 16, wherein said oxide film layer has a length of 10 to 60 mm.
A metal casing for a communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the decorative layer has a thickness of 40 to 90 μm.
A metal casing for a communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein said decorative layer and said oxide film layer are integrally formed.
A metal casing for a communication device according to claim 19, wherein said decorative layer and said oxide film layer are both hard anodized films.
A metal casing for a communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the metal substrate is an aluminum alloy, a stainless steel, a magnesium alloy or a titanium alloy.
A metal casing for a communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the metal substrate has a thickness of 0.3 to 0.6 mm.
The metal casing of the communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the metal casing of the communication device further comprises:

a filler member, the filler member being disposed in the groove.
A metal casing for a communication device according to claim 23, wherein said filler member is formed of a UV curable adhesive.
A method for preparing a metal casing of a communication device, comprising:

1) forming a first protective layer on a predetermined portion of the inner surface of the metal substrate;

2) forming a groove in a region other than the predetermined portion on the inner surface of the metal substrate;

3) removing the first protective layer, then forming a second protective layer on the inner surface of the metal substrate, and forming an opening in the second protective layer in the recess, the opening extending through the second The protective layer;

4) subjecting the metal substrate obtained in the step 3) to a hard anodizing treatment to form an oxide film layer and a decorative layer;

5) removing the second protective layer.
The method according to claim 25, wherein in the step 1), a portion where the groove is formed by shielding the inner surface of the metal substrate, and a region other than the shielding portion of the metal substrate is formed. The first protective layer is described.
The method according to claim 25 or 26, wherein in step 2), the groove The width is 3-5mm.
The method according to any one of claims 25 to 27, wherein in the step 2), the groove has a length of 10 to 100 mm.
A method according to any one of claims 25-28, characterized in that in step 2) a plurality of said grooves are formed.
The method of claim 29 wherein the spacing between adjacent two of said grooves is between 2 and 5 mm.
A method according to any one of claims 25 to 30, wherein the first protective layer is formed by electrophoresis and/or spraying.
The method according to any one of claims 25 to 31, wherein the first protective layer has a thickness of 25 to 45 μm.
The method according to any one of claims 25 to 32, wherein in step 2), an area other than the predetermined portion on the inner surface of the metal substrate is etched by an etching solution to form the Groove.
The method according to claim 33, wherein the portion of the metal substrate corresponding to the groove has a thickness of 0.08 - 0.15 mm by the etching.
The method according to claim 33 or 34, wherein the etching solution is a solution containing sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate and sodium nitrate.

Wherein, the concentrations of the sodium hydroxide, the sodium carbonate, and the sodium nitrate are each independently 50-60 g/L.
The method according to any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein the etching conditions include a temperature of 35-45 degrees Celsius and a time of 30-70 minutes.
A method according to any one of claims 25 to 36, wherein the second protective layer is formed of a UV ink.
The method according to any one of claims 25 to 37, wherein in step 2), the step of forming an opening in the recess is: removing the first protective layer and in the metal substrate The UV ink layer is formed on the surface, and then a groove of 80-120 μm wide is developed by exposure in the groove to form the opening.
The method according to any one of claims 25 to 38, wherein in the step 4), the hard anodizing treatment comprises subjecting the metal substrate obtained in the step 3) to a hard anodizing pretreatment. In the step, the pretreatment includes alkaline etching liquid etching, nitric acid ash removal, and chemical polishing treatment.
The method according to any one of claims 25 to 39, wherein in the step 4), the conditions of the hard anodizing treatment include:

The oxidizing solution is a solution containing 170-270 g/L sulfuric acid and 8-20 g/L oxalic acid.

The temperature is 5-12 degrees Celsius.

The pulse waveform is a positive square wave pulse.

The duty cycle is 60-80%,

The frequency is 500-1000Hz,

Current density is 3-7A/dm 2 ,

The oxidation time is 30-60 min.
The method according to any one of claims 25 to 40, further comprising:

6) Filling the groove with a UV curable glue and curing.
The method according to any one of claims 25 to 41, wherein the metal substrate is an aluminum alloy, a stainless steel, a magnesium alloy or a titanium alloy.
A method according to any one of claims 25 to 42, wherein the metal substrate has a thickness of from 0.3 to 0.6 mm.