# US 10,455,716 B2 · Electronic devices having nanoparticle protective coatings > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,455,716 B2 - Document ID: US10455716B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/987,823 - Filed: 2018-05-23 - Published: 2019-04-04 - Granted: 2019-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-29 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Matthew S. Rogers; Marta M. Giachino - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10455716B2 ## CPC - G02B 1/14: Protective coatings, e.g. hard coatings - H04M 1/0264: {for a camera module assembly} - H05K 5/03: Covers - H04M 1/0266: {for a display module assembly} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract An electronic device may be provided with a housing, electrical components mounted in the housing, and optical components. A display may be mounted to the housing and may have an array of pixels overlapped by a transparent member serving as a display cover layer. Transparent members in openings in the housing may form optical component widows. A housing member or a transparent member serving as a display cover layer or optical component window may be provided with a protective coating. The protective coating may be formed on an outer surface of the housing member or transparent member. The protective coating may have a polymer binder with embedded particles. The embedded particles may be hard particles that provide the protective coating with enhanced scratch resistance. The protective coating may help enhance fracture resistance in a display cover layer or other coated member. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device, comprising: a housing; an optical component in the housing; a transparent member that overlaps the optical component, wherein the transparent member is configured to pass light for the component; and a coating on the transparent member that has a polymer binder and embedded particles with a hardness of at least 7 Mohs, wherein each of the particles includes a core of a first material surrounded by a coating of a second material that is different than the first material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the embedded particles comprise transparent particles. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the transparent particles comprise particles selected from the group consisting of: diamond particles, aluminum oxide particles, zirconia particles, and quartz particles. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the optical component comprises a camera. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the housing has an opening and wherein the transparent member forms an optical component window in the opening in the housing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising: an array of pixels, wherein the transparent member comprises a display cover layer that overlaps the array of pixels. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the display cover layer has opposing inner and outer surfaces and wherein the coating is formed on the outer surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electronic device defined in claim 7 wherein the display cover layer comprises a glass layer, the electronic device further comprising: a fluoropolymer layer that forms an antismudge coating for the display cover layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electronic device defined in claim 8 further comprising: a silicon oxide layer interposed between the fluoropolymer layer and the display cover layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The electronic device defined in claim 8 further comprising: an antireflection coating between the fluoropolymer layer and the display cover layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the transparent member comprises a glass layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the particles each include a coating of a third material that surrounds the coating of the second material, wherein the third material is different than the second material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the second material comprises silicon oxide and the third material comprises aluminum oxide. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the embedded particles have a hardness of at least 8.0 Mohs. ### Claim 15 An electronic device, comprising: a housing; electrical components in the housing; and a coating on the housing having a polymer binder and particles embedded in the polymer binder that have a hardness of at least 8 Mohs, wherein the particles comprise opaque particles. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The electronic device defined in claim 15 wherein the opaque particles comprise particles selected from the group consisting of: silicon carbide particles, boron nitride particles, carbon nitride particles, and tungsten carbide particles. ### Claim 17 An electronic device, comprising: pixels configured to display images; a display cover layer formed from a transparent glass member that overlaps the pixels; and a coating on an exterior surface of the transparent glass member that includes a polymer and particles embedded in the polymer, wherein the particles comprise particles selected from the group consisting of: diamond particles, aluminum oxide particles, zirconia particles, and quartz particles. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the coating has a thickness of 1 to 10 microns.