Patent Application
20140092536
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.
The present disclosure relates generally to cases for enclosing a portable electronic device.
Cases for enclosing a portable electronic device may be one-piece or multiple pieces. Exemplary cases may include multiple layers, such as a flexible inner layer manufactured from a thermoplastic elastomer, thermoplastic polyurethane or silicon compound, and an exterior layer, such as a rigid or thin film exterior layer. According to embodiments, cases may also include reinforcing portions or splints embedded within portions of the case to minimize deformities encountered during manufacturing as well as reinforcing the case in areas generally susceptible to consumer wear.
The flexible inner layer and/or the exterior layer may act to protect an enclosed personal electronic device from damage due to, for example, exposure to dirt contaminants, impact, or shock. The case may be flexible enough so that it deforms to accommodate the insertion of a portable electronic device and, following insertion, returns to its original shape. The case may include a mechanism for maintaining the attachment between the case and the portable electronic device. Exemplary attachment mechanisms include a clip, an extension, an adhesive material, and a magnetic material.
Cases may incorporate In-Mold Labeling (“IML”) or In-Mold Design (“IMD”). IML or IMD are common manufacturing methods that utilize a printed film to decorate hard/soft plastic parts. The film may be a PC, PC/PMMA, or PET type film or substrate which may be printed with layers of ink, creating a specified graphic, which is then inserted into a mold where the film is over molded with a hard or soft plastic.
One problem with existing IML or IMD processes, however, is that the film's substrate material may have properties that are inherently different then the properties of the injection plastic properties. Another problem is forming of the film material to a draw depth of the specific electronic device. Deeper draws results in thinner film (i.e., the film stretches as it draws) which are inherently weaker around cut openings, thereby increasing the need for reinforcement. A deeper draw, however, results in a better overall design, as it allows for coverage of the entire electronic device.
To avoid this problem, many manufacturers often injection mold with a material that has similar properties to the film being used. That is, many manufacturers use injection mold plastic such as polycarbonate with a polycarbonate film thereby eliminating design features that result in film or ink cracking or splitting due to a difference in materials. However, it is not always desirable to use the same film and injection mold plastic, especially when it is desired to achieve a product such as a personal electronics device case, with both a hard and soft layer. For example, if a personal electronics device case incorporates an injection molded plastic that has a much higher elastic deformation properties then those compared to the film substrate i.e., injection mold thermoplastic elastomer or polyurethane combined to a polycarbonate/polyester film, there may be issues with deformations and wear. Secondly, thin areas of the case, which may be mostly film, when combined with an elastic material such as TPE/TPU, allows the thin areas of film to stretch during injection molding or consumer use, which often result in the risk of wear and breakage due to cracking during molding or use.
Accordingly, a need exists to reduce the risk of wear and breakage. By utilizing materials with different properties, case utility and design may be enhanced.
According to embodiments, the risk of wear and breakage in a case may be reduced by including, during the manufacturing process, a hard plastic rib or splint into the molding process that reinforces areas susceptible to such wear and breakage. The use of a rib may be achieved in multiple ways.
In an embodiment, a thin splint or rib of rigid material can be added to the in-mold label film after the film has been formed and cut. The splint may be applied to areas that are prone to breaking, warping, or distortion due to injection of a substrate material or consumer use (i.e., putting the electronic device in and out of the protective case). One or more splints may be used depending on the regions sought to be reinforced.
In an embodiment, splints may be added utilizing any known method that increases the thickness and the strength of the thinner film in areas around cut outs in the film, including but not limited to gluing the splint to the film by hand or automated process, or by local injection molding the splint materials directly to the film before the IML injection step. Additionally and/or alternatively, in an embodiment, the rib or splint may be a rigid reinforced rib configured to fit within the case. The rigid reinforced rib can be added to the assembly that would be molded initially and over molded with a soft plastic afterwards. The rigid reinforced rib may be one overall piece or frame or may be comprised of multiple pieces that may be over molded with a softer plastic at the same time the film is over molded.
Because of the addition of localized reinforced splint material, electronic device cases with thin areas where film breakage or distortion would typically occur can be manufactured without such failures. The addition of rigid splint material allows thin areas in parts of the cases that were previously unattainable, due to film breakage or distortion during the injection molding process or consumer use utilizing, e.g., the methods herein described. Embodiments can also improve product yield during the manufacturing process by reducing deformation in desired areas, thereby improving product manufacturability and consistency.
The films may be sized ranging from 0.178 mm to 0.5 mm. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the thinner films form much finer detailed designs and are easier to form in deep draw conditions, but they also are easier to deform and break. Thicker films do not produce as intricate detail designs, are harder to form in deep draw conditions, but offer more rigidity and protection to the case as a whole.
When adding internal braces or splints to eliminate stretching of the film in certain areas, film of either 0.188 mm or 0.25 mm thickness allows for deep draw forming and detailed designs.
The invention is illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings, which are meant to be exemplary and not limiting, and in which like references are intended to refer to like or corresponding parts.
While the invention has been described and illustrated in connection with embodiments, many variations and modifications as will be evident to those skilled in this art may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims, and the invention is thus not to be limited to the precise details of methodology or construction set forth above as such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.
This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/705,300, filed Sep. 25, 2012, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61705300 | Sep 2012 | US |
