HK1161505B - Cold worked metal housing for a portable electronic device - Google Patents

Description

Cold worked metal housing for portable electronic device

The present application is a divisional application of an invention patent application having an application date of 2008/1/4, an application number of 200880001698.1, and an invention name of "cold-worked metal case for portable electronic device".

Technical Field

The invention relates to a cold-worked stainless steel bezel for a portable electronic device.

Background

By its very nature, portable electronic devices (e.g., MP3 players, cellular phones) are carried around and are subject to impacts and unintended collisions that are not experienced by stationary electronic devices (e.g., desktop computers, televisions). To protect the electronic systems of these portable devices, manufacturers have made impact resistant housings.

However, existing housings are not always easy to manufacture, aesthetically pleasing, or sufficiently impact resistant. Accordingly, there is a need for a hard, easily manufacturable, and aesthetically pleasing housing for a portable electronic device.

Disclosure of Invention

A bezel for a housing of a portable electronic device is provided.

The bezel is configured to releasably engage the housing to form a housing. The bezel includes an attachment portion that extends from an outer surface of the bezel such that the attachment portion is received in a bracket secured to the housing. The bracket includes a slot configured to receive both the attachment portion and the spring. The spring is arranged to engage with both the projection of the bracket and the engagement member of the attachment portion. The bracket is secured to the housing when both the bracket and the attachment portion are engaged with the spring. When the housing is assembled, the bezel and the housing are flush.

The bezel may be constructed of cold worked stainless steel. By cold working the steel during or prior to manufacturing the bezel, the steel undergoes a martensitic transformation that increases the hardness of the bezel, which may provide the bezel with desirable impact and scratch resistance characteristics. The cold-working manufacturing process also enables the bezel to be manufactured with greater precision than other manufacturing processes. This limits the post-manufacturing tooling required to ensure that the bezel meets the design tolerances (e.g., the attachment portion fits snugly in the slot of the bracket, and the outer surface of the bezel is flush with the housing) and reduces costs. The bezel may also be polished to provide an aesthetically pleasing finish.

Drawings

The above and other features of this invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a housing of the assembled portable electronic device of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a wire frame perspective view of the bottom of the housing of the assembled portable electronic device of fig. 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a cradle and spring of the housing of the portable electronic device of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a spring of the housing of the portable electronic device of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a housing of the assembled portable electronic device of FIG. 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an illustrative process for assembling a case having a bezel and a housing to form a portable electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

In accordance with the present invention, a cold-worked steel bezel for a portable electronic device is provided.

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of elements of a housing of an illustrative portable electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a housing of the assembled portable electronic device of fig. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Housing 100 includes bottom housing 110, brace 210, bezel 310, and spring 410. The bottom housing 110 includes a generally horizontal plate 112, the horizontal plate 112 being bent from the horizontal plate 112 to form a side wall 114. The inner surface 113 of the plate 112 (i.e., the surface of the plate 112 facing the electronics of the portable electronic device) may include shape features (e.g., dimples, perforations, ridges, and grooves) for receiving or supporting particular electronic elements.

Bottom housing 110 may be any suitable shape. For example, bottom housing 110 may be substantially rectangular, square, oval, circular, irregular, or any other suitable shape. In the example of fig. 1, the bottom housing 110 is substantially rectangular. Bottom housing 110 may include a left side 120, a right side 122, a bottom 124 (not shown), and a top 126. The corners where adjacent sides (right side 122 and top 126) of bottom housing 110 meet may be rounded to provide the housing with a comfortable feel (e.g., no hard corners).

Fig. 3 is a wire frame perspective view from the bottom of the housing of the assembled portable electronic device of fig. 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, brace 210 may be secured to bottom housing 110 to provide support that connects bottom housing 110 to bezel 310. Bracket 210 may be secured to bottom housing 110 in any suitable manner, including, for example, adhesive. In this example, the inner surface 115 of the sidewall 114 may be substantially smooth to provide a suitable surface for bonding the bracket 210 to the sidewall 114. As another example, bracket 210 and sidewall 114 of bottom housing 110 may include complementary structures (e.g., a tongue extending from bracket 210 and a corresponding recess in bottom housing 110 for securing bracket 120 to bottom housing 110. As yet another example, bracket 110 may be secured to bottom housing 110 using fasteners (e.g., screws, bolts and nuts, or clips). in other embodiments, any other suitable manner or combination of manners for securing bracket 210 to bottom housing 110 may also be used.

Bracket 210 may be secured to any portion of bottom housing 110. For example, the housing 100 may include two brackets 210 secured to the left 120 and right 122 sides of the bottom housing 110. As another example, bracket 210 may alternatively or additionally be secured to bottom 124 (not shown), top 126, or one or more corners of bottom housing 110. Housing 100 may include several designs for stand 210, each designed to be secured to a different portion (e.g., left side 120 or right side 122) of bottom housing 110. In some embodiments, brace 210 may be designed to be secured to two or more sides of bottom housing 110 (e.g., brace 210 is configured to be secured to top 126, a top portion of left side 120, and a top portion of right side 122).

Brace 210 may include any suitable structure for securing to bottom housing 110 or for engaging bezel 310. Fig. 4 is a side view of a cradle and spring of the housing of the portable electronic device of fig. 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in fig. 4, the bracket 210 includes a smooth lower portion 212 and an irregular upper portion 220. The lower portion 212 may be curved with a curvature that matches the curvature of the sidewall 114. The matching curvature may allow the lower portion 212 to be tightly secured to the inner surface of the sidewall 114 (e.g., using an adhesive). The bracket 210 also includes an upper protrusion 238 extending from an edge of the bracket 210 and configured to be received by the recess 116 in the sidewall 114.

Upper portion 220 may include a plurality of elements for engaging bottom housing 110 and bezel 310. In the example of fig. 1, the upper portion 220 includes an inner wall 221 and an outer wall 230 (relative to the center of the portable electronic device) that form a U-shaped slot 225. The inner wall 221 may be a continuous or discontinuous wall with apertures 222 and cutouts 224 (as shown in fig. 3). Cutout 224 may be aligned with aperture 334 of bezel 310 (and with aperture 414 of spring 410) so that housing 100 is aligned with brace 210 and bezel 310 when housing 100 is assembled. In certain embodiments, the cutout 224 and the aperture 334 (and the aperture 414 of the spring 410) may be configured to receive a fastener (e.g., a screw) to secure the housing 100. The surfaces of walls 221 and 230 that form slot 225 may be substantially smooth so as to tightly receive bezel 310 in slot 225.

The outer wall 230 may be a discontinuous wall that is slightly recessed from the outermost edge 214 of the lower portion 212 (as shown in fig. 1). The outer wall 230 may include a plurality of wall elements 232 separated by empty spaces 234. Each wall member 232 includes a lower projection 236 and an upper projection 238 (relative to the lower portion 212) that extend from each wall member 232 toward the bottom housing 110 and away from the electronics contained in the housing 100. Lower and upper protrusions 236 and 238 may be provided to extend into recess 116 of sidewall 114. The lower and upper projections 236 and 238 form a recess 240 of the wall member 232.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the bracket 210 may include a rib 242, the rib 242 extending from the edge 214 in the empty space 234 parallel to the wall member 232. The ribs 242 may form a U-shaped shroud for receiving and/or capturing the spring 410.

Spring 410 may be used to releasably connect brace 210 to bezel 310. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a spring of a housing of the portable electronic device of fig. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, spring 410 may include an elongated strip 412 with holes 414 (described in more detail below in connection with FIG. 6) spaced at intervals calculated to coincide with the components of bezel 310. The spring 410 includes a plurality of U-shaped cantilevers 420 distributed along a strip 412.

The spring 410 may be configured to be received in the cradle 210. Specifically, elongated strip 412 may be received in recessed portion 240 such that a portion of strip 412 is captured in rib 242. The distance between lower and upper projections 236 and 238 (i.e., the height of recess 240) and the width of strip 412 may be selected so that strip 412 may fit securely between projections 236 and 238 (e.g., in a press-fit relationship), and ribs 242 may further be designed to secure and maintain strip 412 within recess 240 (e.g., with a depression for securing strip 412). Spring 410 may be further secured within cradle 210 by the proximity of side wall 114 of bottom housing 110 (bottom housing 110 interfacing spring 410 on a side not adjacent to cradle 210).

The cantilever 420 may be distributed along the spring 412 such that the cantilever 420 is positioned within the free space 234 of the bracket 210. As shown in fig. 4, which is a side view of the bracket 210 and spring 410, the cantilever 420 is attached to the lower edge 422 of the strip 412 and bent toward the upper edge 423 of the strip 412 such that a front or rear view of the spring 410 shows the shape of a U. The end 424 of the cantilever 420 is a free end that may be configured to resiliently bend (e.g., as a cantilever spring) in response to an external force on the cantilever 420. For example, cantilever 420 may bend when bezel 310 is pressed into bottom housing 110 and brace 210. Each cantilever 420 may include an aperture 426.

When the spring 410 is placed in the holder 210, the cantilever 420 extends from the outer wall 230 in the direction of the inner wall 221, so that the cantilever 420 replaces the wall element in the free space 234 (fig. 1). Apertures 426 may be configured to receive tabs or protrusions (e.g., engagement members 336) of bezel 310 such that bezel 310 engages spring 410.

Bezel 310 may be configured to be placed over bottom housing 110 to assemble case 100. As shown in fig. 1 and 6 (described in greater detail below), bezel 310 may include a base structure 312, where base structure 312 provides an upper surface of the exterior side of housing 100. The inner surface 320 of the structure 312, as shown in fig. 6, includes steps 322 and 324 for supporting electronics or other components of the portable electronic device. For example, step 322 may be configured to support screen 350, while step 324 may be configured to support reflective layer 352. The inner surface 320 may include any other suitable components for supporting one or more components of the portable electronic device (e.g., input components such as a scroll wheel).

Lower surface 326 of base structure 312 is substantially horizontal and is configured to rest against top surface 115 of wall 114 when bezel 310 is engaged with bottom housing 110. Both the lower surface 326 and the top surface 115 may be designed to remain in intimate contact when the housing 100 is assembled. For example, the lower surface 326 and the top surface 115 may include complementary features configured to engage and provide a tight fit. Bezel 310 may be constructed using methods and materials that allow for very tight tolerances in all directions (e.g., x, y, and z directions), which may ensure that bezel 310 is flush with bottom housing 110 when case 100 is assembled.

Outer surface 314 of base structure 312 may be a curved configuration configured to be flush with sidewall 114 when bezel 310 is engaged with bottom housing 110. Outer surface 314 may be polished to provide an aesthetically pleasing finish to bezel 310. The outer surface 314 may be polished in any suitable manner, including, for example, using a grinding disc of silicon carbide having a particle size of 120 or 240, a grinding wheel or cloth having a diamond suspension of 3 or 9 μm, or a cloth having a colloidal silica or alumina suspension of 0.05 μm.

The attachment portion 330 extends from the base structure 312 in a direction toward the bottom housing 110 and the bracket 210. The attachment portion 330 includes a wall 332 that extends below the lower surface 326. In some embodiments, wall 332 is not continuous, but includes separate segments distributed around the edges of bezel 310. To provide a strong connection between bezel 310 and brace 210, wall 332 may be continuous at the portion of attachment portion 330 that is configured to be placed in slot 225 of brace 210. Attachment portion 330 may include a plurality of holes 334 that align with holes 414 and recesses 224 of spring 410 when housing 100 is assembled to help align brace 210, bezel 310, and spring 410. In some embodiments, apertures 334, 414 and recess 224 may be configured to receive fasteners (e.g., screws) to secure bezel 310 to bottom housing 110.

The portion of the wall 332 configured to be placed in the slot 225 may include one or more engagement members 336. The engagement member 336 may be a tab or other such element that extends from the wall 332 in a direction toward the exterior of the portable electronic device. Each engagement member 336 may include an angled tip 338 and a horizontal tongue 340 for engaging at least one of the apertures 426 and 414 of the cantilever 420.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a housing of the assembled portable electronic device of fig. 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. To engage bezel 310 with brace 210, spring 410 is first placed in and captured by brace 210. Bezel 310 may then be pressed into brace 210 so that wall 332 extends into slot 225. When bezel 310 is pressed into bottom housing 110, wall 332 is inserted into slot 225 and engagement members 336 press cantilever 420 into free space 234 to create enough space to fully occupy slot 225. Angled tip 338 may be configured to gradually apply a force to cantilever 420 to gradually deflect cantilever 420 as bezel 310 is pushed into housing 110. Once wall 332 has been fully inserted into slot 225, aperture 426 is aligned with tab 340 (e.g., by appropriately designing the placement of aperture 426). The tongue 340 then extends into the hole 426 and stops applying force to the cantilever 420, and the cantilever 420 springs back to its equilibrium position in the empty space 224. Tongue 340 then engages aperture 426 and prevents wall 332, and thus bezel 310, from disengaging brace 210 unless tongue 340 is released from spring 410.

To disengage bezel 310 from brace 210 and bottom housing 110, an external force may be applied to spring 410, which causes cantilever 420 to flex away from wall 332, thereby releasing engagement member 336 from aperture 426. Once engagement members 336 are released, bezel 310 may be removed from slot 225. The external force may be applied to the spring 410 in any suitable manner. For example, a tool may be inserted into the housing 100 to engage the cantilever 420. As another example, if the cantilever 420 is made of a material that is magnetically influenced in the presence of a magnetic field, the magnetic field (e.g., provided by a magnet) may provide an external force for disengaging the engagement member 336. Suitable materials for movement in the presence of a magnetic field include ferritic materials such as cold worked 304 stainless steel or 404 stainless steel, among others.

The components of the housing 100 may be fabricated using any suitable fabrication process and using any suitable materials. For example, bottom housing 110 may be formed using one or more of casting, molding (e.g., a power metallurgy mold), forging, machining, rolling, extruding, milling, or any other suitable manufacturing process. The bottom housing 110 may also be finished using any suitable manufacturing process including, for example, polishing, buffing, grinding, blasting or sandblasting, tumbling, brush cleaning, flame cleaning, electropolishing, or any other suitable process for finishing the bottom housing 110 (e.g., to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance). The bottom housing 110 may be constructed from any suitable material, such as aluminum, steel, iron alloys, titanium, magnesium, copper alloys, other metal alloys, plastics, polymers, ceramics, or composites, among others. In one embodiment, bottom housing 110 may be constructed from aluminum.

The bracket 210 and spring 410 may be constructed using one or more of the manufacturing processes listed above in relation to forming the bottom housing 110. Additionally, the brace 210 and spring 410 may be constructed using one or more of the materials listed above in relation to the bottom housing 110. In one embodiment, the bracket 210 may be made of magnesium and the spring 410 may be made of stainless steel (e.g., 404 series stainless steel).

Bezel 310 may also be constructed using one or more of the manufacturing processes and one or more of the materials listed above in relation to forming bottom housing 110. In one embodiment, bezel 310 may be constructed using stainless steel, such as 304 stainless steel. 304 stainless steel may be hardened by cold working and may allow bezel 310 to withstand heavy loads and impacts (e.g., caused by dropping the portable electronic device).

304 stainless steel is austenitic steel, which is a non-magnetic solid solution of iron and carbon. The iron and carbon molecules are arranged in a Face Centered Cubic (FCC) lattice structure that contains a higher proportion of carbon than ferrite, which has a body centered cubic lattice structure. The higher the density of carbon atoms in austenitic steels, the more durable and harder the material than ferrite. Austenitic steels may contain a maximum of 0.15% carbon, a minimum of 16% chromium, and sufficient nickel and/or manganese to maintain the austenitic structure (i.e., the FCC lattice structure) at all temperatures from the low temperature region of the alloy to the melting point. With insufficient addition of nickel and/or manganese, the FCC lattice structure is unstable and may revert back to the BCC lattice structure (i.e., to ferrite from austenitic steel). 304 stainless steel has a composition of 18% chromium and 8% nickel, commonly referred to as 18/8 stainless steel, which is one of the most common grades of stainless steel.

Certain metals can be hardened by heat treatment, which is typically used to manipulate the properties of the metal by controlling the rate of diffusion of particles in the metal, as well as the rate of cooling within the microstructure. However, austenitic steels such as 304 cannot be hardened by heat treatment alone. Alternatively, two other methods may be used: plastic deformation of the steel, and refinement of the grain size of the steel.

Plastic deformation of a material is the irreversible deformation of the material. In the particular case of austenitic steels, plastic deformation leads to irreversible changes in the crystal structure of the steel. Such changes can form irregularities in the lattice structure of the crystal, called dislocations (e.g., edge and screw dislocations). As more dislocations are introduced into the material by further plastic deformation (e.g., by formation of new dislocations and dislocation propagation), the strain fields of adjacent dislocations overlap and progressively increase the resistance of the material to additional dislocations. This makes the material harder. This effect is called strain hardening or work hardening.

One process of hardening a material by plastic deformation is cold working, which is a process of hardening a material as a result of plastic deformation of the material at low to moderate temperatures. Cold working may be provided by any suitable treatment performed at low temperature, such as extrusion, drawing or punching.

Plastic deformation of austenitic steels, such as 304 stainless steel, can produce a martensitic transformation. The martensitic transformation is the transformation of austenite to martensite in austenitic steel. Austenite and martensite have the same chemical composition, very similar crystal structures, in which the cubic structure of austenite is distorted by interstitial atoms of carbon that have not been as diffuse in the process that causes transformation (e.g., plastic deformation or quenching) to form martensite. Therefore, the martensite is supersaturated with carbon. The carbon atoms stretch the martensitic crystal structure, which stretches the crystal lattice of the metal and creates additional strain, thus creating additional strain fields that combine with dislocations caused by plastic deformation to harden the material.

For plastic deformation to effectively form martensite, it must occur below the martensitic deformation temperature of the material. Because of the martensitic transformation temperature (M)_d) Depending on the chemistry and primary particle size, it is difficult to determine, and an approximation is used instead. A suitable approximation is M_d30It is reacted with M_dSimilarly varied. M_d30Is the temperature at which 50% of the microstructure will transform to martensite, giving a true strain of 30%.

The grains in austenitic steels may be refined by annealing the steel after cold working. Annealing the metal causes the crystals in the material to recrystallize and nucleate, resulting in larger particles. Dislocations in the crystal lattice caused by cold working disappear as new grains are formed. However, there is a point at which the material can be cold worked at a level where there are too many dislocations to make recrystallization using annealing practical.

The annealed material may be cooled in any suitable manner, including, for example, in a furnace (i.e., a full anneal heat treatment), in air (i.e., a normalizing heat treatment), or quenched (e.g., rapidly cooled). For example, the metal may be quenched using pressurized air or gas (e.g., nitrogen), in oil, water-soluble polymers, water, or brine. Quenching can lead to the generation of martensite in austenitic steels, which is harder than austenite. To produce martensite, the steel must be rapidly cooled through its eutectoid point (the temperature at which austenite becomes unstable).

The resulting grain size and distribution in the material may depend on the amount of cold work prior to annealing (e.g., the number of dislocations in the steel prior to heat treatment), the annealing temperature, the duration of time the metal is held in the furnace, and the cooling temperature. For example, the longer the steel is held in the furnace, and the higher the furnace temperature, the more new particles nucleate, and the more dislocations are eliminated (e.g., resulting in softer steel). As another example, if the steel is rapidly cooled through its eutectoid point, martensite may be generated (e.g., hardening the steel).

The stainless steel 304 may be polished to provide an aesthetically pleasing surface (e.g., the aesthetically pleasing outer surface 314 of the base structure 312). Polishing of the steel can be performed using a sequence of polishing steps with different grain sizes (e.g., as the sequence progresses, the grain size becomes higher).

Bezel 310 (and spring 410) may be fabricated from 304 stainless steel using a cold-working process, which, as discussed above, provides high strength. But cold working also provides very precise constraints in all directions (e.g., x, y, and z directions) without additional manufacturing processes. This combination of properties may make cold working a preferred process for manufacturing bezel 310. For example, cold working may be much less expensive than machining, including the labor cost of skilled machining. As another example, cold worked metal parts may be stronger than die cast metal parts because of the difficulty in casting stainless steel (e.g., the alloy easily separates from the steel, making the structure weaker). In addition, die casting may also be imprecise and require post-casting machining to adjust the component dimensions to within design tolerances.

Bezel 310, spring 410, and housing 110 may be manufactured with tight tolerances in order to have bezel 310 completely flush with bottom housing 110. Specifically, wall 332 and tab 340 may be precisely manufactured so that wall 332 fits flush within slot 225 and tab 340 engages at least one of apertures 426 and 414. In addition, lower surface 326 of base structure 312 of bezel 310 and surface 115 of wall 114 of bottom housing 110 may be precisely manufactured so that lower surface 332 is flush with surface 115 and outer surface 314 of bezel 310 is flush with the outer surface of wall 114. Manufacturing at least bezel 310 (and bottom housing 110, brace 210, and spring 410) using a cold-working process may provide a nearly perfect net assembly requiring minimal machining or finishing to meet the tight tolerance requirements of the assembly.

The following flow charts will be used to illustrate the processes involved in some embodiments of the invention. FIG. 7 is a flow chart of an illustrative process of assembling a bezel and a housing to form a case of a portable electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Process 700 begins at step 702. In step 704, a bracket is secured to an inner surface of the shell of the housing. Any suitable method may be used to secure the bracket, including, for example, adhesives or fasteners. The brace may include a rib for securing the spring, and a slot for receiving the bezel. In step 706, the spring is inserted into the holder and secured therein. The spring may be arranged to fit within a rib of the brace such that the spring remains positioned within the rib. In some embodiments, the order of steps 704 and 706 may be reversed.

In step 708, the bezel is placed over the bracket with the walls of the attachment portion of the bezel aligned with the slots of the bracket. In step 710, the bezel is pressed into the brace such that the wall is inserted into the slot of the brace and such that the at least one engagement member of the bezel engages the hole in the spring. Once the spring is engaged with the brace and bezel simultaneously, the housing is assembled. Process 700 then ends in step 712.

In another embodiment, the assembly process may proceed as follows. The spring may be assembled into the holder. The spring/brace combination is assembled into the bezel, which allows the spring to be captured between the bezel and the brace.

The above-described embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and not of limitation, and the present invention is limited only by the claims that follow.

Claims (15)

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing, comprising:

the planar portion is formed by a plurality of flat portions,

a side wall portion extending from a surface of the planar portion of the housing, an

A projection extending from the sidewall portion;

a screen; and

a bezel, the bezel comprising:

a planar portion for receiving the screen; and

an attachment portion extending from the planar portion of the bezel and including an engagement member that engages with the protrusion when the bezel is placed over the housing to connect the bezel to the housing.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the transition between the side wall portion and the planar portion of the housing comprises a continuous curved surface.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the sidewall portion extends around a periphery of the planar portion of the housing.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the housing is also connected with at least one inner wall extending from a surface of the planar portion of the housing, wherein the at least one inner wall and the sidewall define a channel for receiving the attachment portion.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the bezel further comprises: a decorative outer surface substantially flush with the sidewall portion when the engagement member is engaged with the projection.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 5, wherein:

the planar portion of the bezel also includes a stepped portion for receiving the screen.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 6, wherein:

the decorative outer surface is substantially flush with the screen.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the attachment portion extends substantially perpendicular to the planar portion of the bezel.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the housing is constructed of plastic; and

the frame is made of metal.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 5, wherein:

the outer surface is a curved surface.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 9, wherein:

the bezel is constructed of at least one of steel and aluminum.

12. A mobile phone case comprising:

a housing, the housing comprising:

a planar surface; and

a sidewall extending from the planar surface around an entire perimeter of the planar surface, the sidewall having an engagement mechanism; and

a bezel, the bezel comprising:

a support structure including a decorative outer surface; and

at least one ridge extending from the support structure, the ridge comprising an attachment mechanism, wherein the engagement mechanism is securely connected with the attachment mechanism to assemble the housing.

13. The mobile phone case of claim 12, wherein:

at least one of the engagement mechanism and the attachment mechanism includes a tab that engages a hole.

14. The mobile phone case of claim 12, wherein:

the at least one ridge includes an aperture to receive a mechanical fastener.

15. The mobile phone case of claim 12, wherein:

the housing is constructed of plastic; and

the frame is made of metal.